NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Friday rejected the bail application of Dr Manoj Bhagwanrao Shirure, a Latur-based paediatrician accused in the alleged National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG) 2026 paper leak case, observing that the investigation prima facie indicated that he was an “active conspirator” in an organised paper leak syndicate.
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Refusing the bail, the court also observed that since the investigation was at a crucial stage, there remained a possibility that Shirure could influence public witnesses if released on bail.
The court remarked that the alleged paper leak affected millions of NEET aspirants across the country and the alleged actions not only caused a loss amounting to several crores of rupees to the government exchequer but also brought disrepute to the nation.
Opposing the bail plea, the CBI, led by Senior Public Prosecutor Neetu Singh, informed the court that Shirure introduced two other doctors to the alleged kingpin, PV Kulkarni, and that the children of those doctors also allegedly benefited from the leaked question paper.
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Special Judge Ajay Gupta of Rouse Avenue courts, while dismissing the plea, noted that the material gathered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) pointed to Shirure’s involvement in the alleged conspiracy and a part of a larger network engaged in leaking examination papers for financial gain.
The court observed that Shirure allegedly identified and arranged candidates for his co-accused in exchange for money.
“It is prima facie clear from the investigation carried out by the CBI that the incriminating material collected from them till date, that the present accused is one of the active conspirators of an organised paper leak gang,” the court said.
The court also recorded that he allegedly attempted to conceal ₹5 lakh received from a co-accused for his role in the racket, which the CBI recovered during the investigation.
“The abhorrent and illegal acts have also eroded the trust of the honest students in the process of this exam, who prepare for the exam with full zeal and honesty and by burning the midnight oil, to compete with their fellow candidates on the basis of their sheer skill and competence,” the court said.
In a separate development on Friday, the court extended the judicial custody of all 13 accused in the case until August 6.
The controversy relates to the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3. Amid allegations that the question paper had been leaked before the test, the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the examination on May 12. A fresh examination was subsequently conducted on June 21, while the CBI continues its investigation into the alleged paper leak conspiracy.
