The two accused were produced before the court after the expiry of their earlier judicial custody period. Special CBI Judge Ajay Gupta passed the order on an application moved by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which sought an extension of their custody as the investigation continues.

Representing the agency, Public Prosecutor Neetu Singh argued for the extension before the court. The matter remains under active investigation by the CBI, which is probing an alleged network involved in obtaining and distributing leaked examination papers ahead of the national-level medical entrance test.

According to investigators, the case has so far led to the arrest of 12 individuals. Those arrested include Mangi Lal Bival, Vikas Bival, Dinesh Bival, Yash Yadav, Shubham Khairnar, Manisha Waghmare, Prahlad Kulkarni, Dhananjay Lokhande, Manisha Mandhare, Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, Manisha Sanjay Havaldar and Dr Manoj Shirure. All the accused are currently lodged in judicial custody.

The case has attracted significant attention due to the seriousness of the allegations and the scale of the examination involved. NEET-UG is one of India’s largest entrance examinations, conducted annually for admission to undergraduate medical courses across the country.

The court has also passed several interim orders in the matter over the past few weeks. Earlier, accused Yash Yadav was permitted to appear in the re-conducted NEET-UG examination held on June 21 and was also allowed to attend his sister’s wedding on June 22. In a separate order, the court rejected the regular bail application filed by accused Manisha Waghmare.

The investigation stems from a complaint filed by a government official on May 12, 2026. Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Prevention of Corruption Act and laws related to the use of unfair means in public examinations.

According to the CBI, Mangi Lal Bival allegedly approached Shubham Khairnar to obtain the NEET-UG question paper for his son, Vikas Bival. Investigators claim that leaked examination material was recovered from Mangi Lal Bival’s mobile phone during the probe.

The agency has further alleged that Mangi Lal Bival procured the leaked paper from Yash Yadav for ₹10 lakh and subsequently facilitated its circulation to other candidates. During questioning, Vikas Bival reportedly admitted that he came in contact with Yash Yadav while attending coaching classes in Rajasthan’s Sikar district.

CBI officials believe the accused were part of a larger conspiracy involving the procurement and sale of confidential examination material. The agency has alleged that leaked papers were sold to candidates for amounts reaching up to ₹12 lakh.

The developments come amid continued scrutiny of examination security mechanisms and concerns over malpractice in competitive recruitment and admission tests. Investigators are examining financial transactions, digital evidence and communication records to establish the extent of the alleged network.

With the court extending the judicial custody of two key accused, the investigation is expected to continue in the coming days. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for July 11.

Student organisation AIDSO staged a protest in Bilaspur on Monday against the alleged NEET paper leak controversy and raised serious concerns over the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the examination system. Members of the organisation also submitted a memorandum to the district collector demanding a fair and transparent investigation into the matter.

The protest was organised to highlight concerns regarding repeated allegations linked to medical entrance examinations and the impact such controversies have on students preparing for competitive exams. The issue quickly became part of the Latest News Today discussions due to growing concerns over the credibility of national-level entrance tests.

Students Raise Concerns

Addressing the protest, AIDSO representative Suraj Sahu said lakhs of students across the country spend years preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) with the dream of becoming doctors. He stated that incidents such as paper leaks and examination irregularities directly affect students’ careers and mental well-being.

According to the organisation, repeated controversies related to NEET examinations have weakened public trust in the examination system. Protesters alleged that irregularities in competitive exams are creating uncertainty among students and parents. Members of the student organisation also criticised what they described as the increasing commercialisation of medical education and coaching culture in the country.

Questions Over Examination System

AIDSO alleged that the expansion of expensive private coaching systems and privatisation in education has turned competitive examinations into a business-driven process. The organisation claimed that recurring complaints related to question paper leaks, result discrepancies and examination management indicate deeper problems within the current system. Students participating in the demonstration carried placards and raised slogans demanding accountability from authorities responsible for conducting national-level examinations. The protest remained peaceful, and police personnel were deployed near the protest site to maintain law and order during the demonstration.

Demand For Fair Probe

The student organisation demanded a judicially monitored and impartial investigation into the alleged NEET paper leak matter. Protesters urged authorities to identify those responsible and ensure strict legal action against individuals involved in any irregularities connected to the examination process.

According to AIDSO representatives, maintaining the credibility of medical entrance examinations is essential because these tests determine the future of thousands of students every year. The organisation warned that continued controversies surrounding examinations could seriously damage confidence in the country’s education system. Protesters appealed to the government to introduce stronger safeguards and improve transparency in examination procedures. The issue has emerged as an important Public Interest Story because of its impact on students, parents and educational institutions across India.

Rechecking System Demand

Apart from raising concerns over the NEET issue, AIDSO also demanded restoration of the rechecking or re-evaluation system at Bilaspur University. Suraj Sahu stated that students dissatisfied with their examination marks should have the right to seek re-evaluation of answer sheets. The organisation argued that a transparent rechecking system would help students address genuine concerns related to evaluation errors and ensure fairness in academic assessment. Student representatives also highlighted alleged irregularities linked to the semester system and called for reforms to address academic issues faced by university students.

Growing Examination Concerns

Competitive examinations in India have increasingly come under scrutiny due to allegations of paper leaks and irregularities in recent years. Such incidents have triggered protests in several states and intensified debates over examination security and institutional accountability.  Education experts believe that maintaining trust in entrance examinations is essential because they play a major role in determining admission to professional courses and higher education institutions.

Authorities have repeatedly assured stricter monitoring and technological safeguards for examination systems, but student groups continue to demand stronger action and transparent investigations whenever irregularities surface. The Bilaspur protest reflected wider concerns among students regarding fairness, accountability and transparency in national examinations.

Following the demonstration, AIDSO members submitted their memorandum to the Bilaspur Collector’s office outlining their demands. The memorandum called for strict action against those responsible for examination irregularities and implementation of a secure and transparent examination mechanism.

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate courses (NEET-UG) will be conducted in online mode from the next academic session, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Friday while confirming that the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper had been leaked. The announcement came days after the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the May 3 examination amid allegations of question paper leaks and irregularities across multiple states. The issue has emerged as one of the biggest India News Update developments in the education sector this year.

Addressing the media, Pradhan said the government took the difficult decision to cancel the examination to ensure fairness in the medical admission process.  He stated that authorities did not want any undeserving candidate to benefit from the irregularities and therefore decided to conduct the examination again. According to the Education Minister, the re-examination will now be held on June 21 and candidates will receive 15 minutes of additional time during the test.

He also announced that students appearing in the re-exam would be allowed to choose examination centres of their preference. The NEET-UG 2026 examination held on May 3 was conducted across 551 cities in India and 14 international cities through more than 5,400 examination centres. Pradhan said the irregularities came to light on May 7 after the NTA informed the government about suspected breaches in the examination process. The decision to cancel the exam was subsequently taken on May 12.

The minister further said the government would coordinate with state governments to facilitate transportation and logistical arrangements for students appearing in the re-examination. Referring to the controversy, Pradhan questioned how such a breach could occur despite recommendations made by reform committees and safeguards already in place.

He said the government machinery would now ensure that the re-examination takes place without any irregularities. The announcement regarding the shift to online mode from next year is being viewed as a major structural reform aimed at reducing the risk of future paper leaks and improving examination security. Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has intensified its probe into the alleged paper leak network.

So far, the agency has arrested seven people in connection with the case. Among them are accused from Rajasthan, Haryana and Maharashtra. Five accused — Mangi Lal Binwal, Dinesh Binwal, Vikas Binwal, Yash Yadav and Shubham Khairnar — were recently produced before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court. The court sent them to seven days’ custody for further interrogation.

Earlier, the CBI had also arrested beautician Manisha Waghmare from Pune and Dhananjay Lokhande from Nashik. Investigators suspect that the leaked question paper was circulated through a network operating across coaching centres and intermediaries. According to sources associated with the probe, accused Yash Yadav allegedly played a key role in transporting the leaked paper to Rajasthan’s Sikar district.

The investigation reportedly revealed that students were charged between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh for access to the question paper before the examination. Officials said one of the accused allegedly scanned a hard copy of the question paper and converted it into a PDF file for circulation. The leaked material was reportedly handwritten before being digitally scanned and distributed among students associated with coaching institutes.

Investigators also found that many questions in the so-called “guess paper” matched the actual examination paper. According to officials, nearly 150 out of 180 questions were allegedly identical to those that appeared in the final NEET-UG paper.

The controversy has once again raised serious concerns regarding the functioning and credibility of the National Testing Agency. The NTA, established in 2017 under the Ministry of Education, conducts several major national-level entrance examinations including NEET-UG, JEE Main, CUET and UGC-NET.

NEET remains India’s largest medical entrance examination and serves as the gateway for admission into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and nursing programmes across government and private institutions. More than one lakh MBBS seats and over 27,000 BDS seats are filled through the examination every year.

The latest controversy has also revived memories of the 2024 NEET paper leak case, which had similarly triggered investigations and legal challenges. Education experts believe the government’s decision to shift NEET to an online format marks a major policy change aimed at restoring trust in the examination system.

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