India's CBI charges 13 in NEET medical entrance exam paper leak
India's Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a charge sheet against 13 individuals—including three National Testing Agency staff, middlemen who distributed leaked papers and two people linked to coaching institutes—for criminal conspiracy, cheating, breach of trust and evidence tampering related to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak. All accused are being held in custody.
The leak prompted nationwide youth‑led protests that forced the education minister to resign. The Supreme Court ordered the release of detained minors and mandated preservation of surveillance footage. In response, the Modi government introduced a bill to amend public‑examination legislation, proposing prison terms of five to ten years and fines up to 50 million rupees for violators.
Separately, a 2026 investigation found that a small group of teachers who set and translated NEET‑UG questions may have memorised and shared the final paper with a closed class, though officials say no formal leak occurred. In the same year, a candidate petitioned the Supreme Court after his NEET‑UG result changed three times within 24 hours, demanding access to his original OMR sheet.
Entities: Central Bureau of Investigation · Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) · Narendra Modi · National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) · National Testing Agency · National Testing Agency (NTA) · Prime Minister Narendra Modi · Supreme Court of India
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Central Bureau of Investigation filed a charge sheet against 13 people in connection with the NEET paper leak. (CBI investigation)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The charges include criminal conspiracy, cheating, breach of trust and destruction of evidence. (CBI charge sheet)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A NEET‑UG 2026 candidate petitioned the Supreme Court after his result changed three times, seeking his original OMR sheet. (Supreme Court petition)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Supreme Court ordered the release of detained minors and the preservation of surveillance footage. (Court order)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Youth protests over the leak forced the education minister to resign. (News reports)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] In 2026, teachers who set and translated NEET‑UG questions allegedly memorised and shared the paper with students, though officials say no formal leak occurred. (CBI source)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The government introduced a bill to amend examination law, proposing prison terms of five to ten years and fines up to 50 million rupees for violators. (Legislative proposal)
- [● 2 SOURCES] All 13 accused individuals are being held in custody. (CBI statement)