Delhi court denies bail to doctor in NEET paper leak case, cites national disrepute
A Delhi court on Friday denied bail to paediatrician Manoj Shirure, a key accused in the 2026 NEET UG paper leak case, stating that the leak has brought disrepute to the nation.
Special Judge Ajay Gupta of Rouse Avenue Court observed that the allegations, if taken at face value, show that the accused acted to satisfy their greed and gain illegal wealth, sabotaging the entire examination process. The court noted that the leak severely impacted millions of NEET aspirants in India and abroad.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleged that Shirure allowed his hospital, Siddhivinayak Hospital in Latur, to be used to facilitate access to a chemistry question paper in April 2026, weeks before the exam. The CBI stated that Shirure helped Aditya Motegaonkar, son of co-accused Shivraj Motegaonkar, to take the chemistry question at the hospital. An amount of Rs. 5 lakh was allegedly obtained from the wife of the accused and seized from his sister's house.
The court further stated that the illegal acts have eroded the trust of honest students who prepare for the exam with zeal and honesty. The CBI, represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Neetu Singh, submitted that out of 136 handwritten questions recovered from the phone of an arrested Latur coaching centre owner, 111 matched the master question sets prepared by the National Testing Agency (NTA). These questions were found on the phone of Shivraj Motegaonkar, who runs Renukai Chemistry Classes and a YouTube channel.
The prosecution also argued that the paper leak caused several students to commit suicide and resulted in a loss of over Rs. 600 crore to the government. The re-examination required papers to be sent to exam centres via helicopters.
The CBI claimed that the questions were allegedly leaked by NTA panel member and translator P V Kulkarni. The agency stated that the investigation is sensitive and larger in scope, and releasing Shirure at this stage could prejudice the investigation or trial.
Earlier, the court had denied bail to co-accused Manisha Sanjay Waghmare on June 9. Orders on other bail pleas are pending. The CBI said PDF files of leaked question papers were sold through Telegram for Rs. 10 lakh. Multiple arrests have been made across various cities.
