Court grants 6-Day CBI custody of Manisha Hawaldar in NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak Case
A Delhi court on Monday granted six-day custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to Manisha Sanjay Hawaldar in connection with the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case.
Hawaldar, a Pune-based physics lecturer and school principal, was arrested by the CBI for allegedly leaking examination-related content linked to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026. Investigators told the court that she had allegedly shared Physics-related questions with certain candidates in exchange for money.
According to reports, Hawaldar had earlier worked as an empanelled Physics translator for the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the NEET examination. The CBI informed the court that handwritten notes containing exam-related questions were allegedly prepared and retained during her association with the testing process.
The federal agency sought custodial interrogation to trace the larger network involved in the alleged leak, recover digital evidence, and identify other accused persons connected to the case. Officials are also examining communication records and financial transactions linked to the suspected paper leak racket.
The arrest of Hawaldar has intensified scrutiny around the conduct of NEET-UG 2026 and the functioning of the National Testing Agency. The controversy has already triggered legal challenges and calls for major reforms in the examination system.
Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court also issued notices on petitions seeking wide-ranging changes in the NTA, while observing that the agency appeared not to have “learned its lesson” from previous controversies surrounding competitive examinations.
The CBI investigation into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak is continuing, with multiple arrests already made in connection with the alleged examination malpractice.
