The CBI has filed a nearly 20,000-page chargesheet in the NEET UG paper leak case before a fast-track court in Delhi, marking a major development in an investigation that triggered student protests and political controversy across the country. According to the information available, the agency has named 13 people as accused and gathered material linked to around 360 witnesses during its investigation. The probe also uncovered the use of code names such as “Kailash” and “Shivalik”, names taken from major mountain ranges, to identify two sets of question papers used for the NEET UG examination held on May 3. More than 22 lakh students seeking admission to medical colleges across the country had appeared for the examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The alleged paper leak later led to the cancellation of the examination and sparked widespread protests by students.

The CBI filed its chargesheet on Tuesday after completing a major part of its investigation in about 77 days. Among the 13 people named as accused are three subject experts associated with the NTA — biology expert Manisha Mandhare, chemistry expert Prahlad Vitthalrao Kulkarni and physics expert Manisha Sanjay Havaldar. Investigators examined different stages of the examination process to understand where the alleged leak took place and how the question papers may have moved through the network. The “Kailash” and “Shivalik” code names have emerged as an important part of the investigation, with the two names reportedly being used for separate sets of NEET UG question papers. The large chargesheet includes documents and other material collected during the probe, along with details connected to hundreds of witnesses. The allegations against those named in the chargesheet, however, will now have to be examined and established before the court.

The NEET paper leak controversy went far beyond questions about the conduct of a single examination. After the exam was cancelled, protests spread to different parts of the country and the issue eventually reached Parliament. The agitation over examination irregularities also intensified political pressure on the government and was followed by the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. With the CBI now filing its nearly 20,000-page chargesheet, the case has entered an important legal phase. The focus will shift to the evidence presented before the fast-track court and the alleged roles of the 13 accused. The investigation has also brought scrutiny to people connected with the examination system itself, including NTA subject experts. What happens next will depend on how the court assesses the CBI's evidence, witness material and other records submitted with the chargesheet.