05 June,2026 06:53 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Opposing the bail plea, the CBI described Manisha Waghmare as a key conspirator who allegedly obtained the leaked NEET (UG) question paper and circulated it further. Representational pic
A court in Delhi on Friday reserved its order till June 9 on the bail plea of Manisha Waghmare, an accused in the National Eligibility Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2026 paper leak case, news agency PTI reported. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) opposed the plea, alleging that Waghmare was part of a larger conspiracy to obtain and distribute the leaked examination paper.
Waghmare is currently in judicial custody.
Special CBI Judge Ajay Gupta reserved the order after hearing submissions from Advocate Shreyas Gacche, appearing for Waghmare, and Senior Public Prosecutor Neetu Singh, representing the central agency.
Opposing the bail plea, the CBI described Waghmare as a key conspirator who allegedly obtained the leaked NEET (UG) question paper and circulated it further. The agency claimed she received money from students in exchange for access to the paper.
"We have statements from students who said that they give money for question papers," the CBI submitted before the court.
The agency further stated that it had collected witness statements and bank transaction records as part of its investigation.
According to the CBI, Waghmare was part of a conspiracy involving Prahlad Kulkarni, a retired Chemistry teacher, to obtain and distribute the leaked examination paper. The agency alleged that Kulkarni passed on the paper through Waghmare, who in turn shared it with Pune-based Dhananjay Lokhande.
The CBI told the court that custodial interrogation of Waghmare and Kulkarni had been sought to probe the larger conspiracy, identify other accused persons, and ascertain locations where examination questions were allegedly revealed to candidates before the test.
The defence, however, maintained that Waghmare is a certified educational consultant who earned commissions by referring students to teachers and educational institutions.
Her counsel argued that no incriminating material was recovered during a two-day search of her residence and that no cash had been seized from her home.
Seeking bail on medical grounds, the defence submitted that Waghmare suffers from vertigo and had recently been hospitalised.
"I have taken medical exigency as a ground for bail. Kindly consider it," the counsel urged.
The court, however, directed the defence to file an appropriate application regarding her medical condition, observing that the jail hospital was equipped to deal with such ailments.
The defence also questioned the legality of her custody, alleging that Pune Police had kept her in unlawful detention on the instructions of the CBI. It further contended that Waghmare's arrest was based solely on the disclosure statement of Dhananjay Lokhande and that no independent evidence linked her to the alleged offence.
According to the CBI investigation, Lokhande allegedly collected the NEET (UG) 2026 examination material from Waghmare and subsequently passed it on to co-accused Shubham Madhukar Khairnar.
On May 30, the Rouse Avenue Court had issued notice to the CBI on Waghmare's bail plea, filed through Advocates Shreyas Gacche and Shubham Gawande.
Waghmare remains in judicial custody till June 9 following her interrogation by the CBI in connection with the alleged NEET (UG) paper leak.
(With PTI inputs)
