A Delhi court has sent P.V. Kulkarni, the alleged mastermind behind the NEET UG 2026 paper leak, and co-accused Manisha Waghmare to 10 days of CBI custody, accepting the agency’s submission that sustained interrogation was necessary to unravel the wider conspiracy behind the leak.
Special CBI Judge Ajay Gupta of the Rouse Avenue Court passed the custody order after the Central Bureau of Investigation had sought a longer, 14-day remand, telling the court that both accused needed to be taken outside Delhi as part of the ongoing investigation.
What the CBI Told the Court
Appearing for the agency, Special Public Prosecutor Neetu Gupta submitted that Kulkarni, a chemistry lecturer from Latur in Maharashtra, had worked as a subject expert associated with setting the NEET UG 2026 question paper for the National Testing Agency (NTA), giving him access to confidential examination material.
The CBI further alleged that co-accused Dhananjay Lokhande had procured the leaked question paper from Manisha Waghmare, pointing to a wider network of people allegedly involved in circulating the leaked paper.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court granted 10 days of CBI custody for Kulkarni and Waghmare — shorter than the 14 days the agency had sought.
Judicial Custody Extended for Second Accused
Earlier the same day, the court had extended the judicial custody, till July 11, of Kulkarni as well as Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, founder of Renukai Career Centre (RCC) and another accused in the case.
Motegaonkar was arrested in May from Latur. According to the CBI, a search of his premises led to the recovery of the leaked NEET UG question paper for the May 3 examination from his mobile phone. The agency has alleged that he was an active member of an organised syndicate involved in leaking and circulating the paper, and that he played a key role in distributing both the question paper and answer keys through his coaching centre.
Kulkarni, also a Latur resident, was arrested in Pune last month. The CBI claims he had been associated with the NEET paper-setting process for several years in his capacity as a domain expert in chemistry.
13 Arrests So Far in the Case
The CBI has so far arrested 13 people in connection with the NEET UG 2026 paper leak case. The NTA had cancelled the original NEET UG examination, conducted on May 3, after allegations of a paper leak surfaced. A re-examination was subsequently held on June 21.
Bail Plea Filed by Co-Accused Motegaonkar
In a related development, Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar has filed a bail application before the court. The CBI’s counsel has sought time to respond to the application, and the matter has been listed for reply and arguments on July 15, 2026.
The court has also directed that Motegaonkar be produced through video conferencing from judicial custody when the bail arguments are heard, with a copy of the order sent to the concerned jail superintendent for compliance.
Case Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Bench | Special CBI Judge Ajay Gupta, Rouse Avenue Court |
| Hearing Date | July 8, 2026 |
| Custody Granted | 10 days (CBI custody for Kulkarni and Waghmare) |
| Total Arrests So Far | 13 |
| Next Hearing (Bail Plea) | July 15, 2026 |
This report is based on court proceedings before the Rouse Avenue Court, Delhi, as reported by LawBeat. Case details are drawn from submissions made by the CBI’s Special Public Prosecutor before Special Judge Ajay Gupta on July 8, 2026.
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