New Delhi [India] September 5 (ANI): The Rouse Avenue Court on Saturday remanded Sheshrav Bajrang Suryawanshi, the 14th accused arrested in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, to judicial custody till September 18 after the expiry of his two-day custody with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Special CBI Judge Ajay Gupta passed the order after Suryawanshi, also known as Raj Suryawanshi, was produced before the court following the completion of his CBI custody.
According to the CBI, Suryawanshi, who is from Nanded in Maharashtra, was allegedly a close associate of charge-sheeted accused Shubham Madhukar Khairnar and played a role in supplying the purported leaked NEET-UG questions to candidates before the examination.
The CBI said Suryawanshi was arrested on September 2, during further investigation into the case.
While seeking judicial custody, the agency submitted that his custodial interrogation had revealed that he allegedly arranged the purported leaked NEET-UG 2026 questions for various candidates before the examination and collected money from the candidates or their families in criminal conspiracy with Khairnar.
The agency further alleged that Suryawanshi brought candidates to a house in Nanded, where the purported leaked questions were supplied to them.
The CBI also alleged that he collected the original documents and educational certificates of the candidates as security for subsequent payment.
The agency submitted before the court that further investigation against the arrested accused and his close associates was at a crucial stage.
The CBI has already filed a chargesheet against 13 accused in the case, and the court has taken cognisance of the chargesheet. Arguments on charge are scheduled to commence from Monday on a day-to-day basis.
The 13 chargesheeted accused are Manisha Mandhare, Manisha Sanjay Hawaldar, Manisha Waghmare, Prahalad Kulkarni, Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, Dr Manoj Shirure, Tejas Harshad Shah, Shubham Khairnar, Dhananjay Lokhande, Yash Yadav, Mangilal Biwal, Dinesh Biwal and Vikas Biwal.
The CBI had registered the case on May 12, following a complaint from the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, regarding alleged irregularities and circulation of documents related to the NEET-UG 2026 examination before the test. The agency launched a nationwide investigation to ascertain the nature and extent of the alleged leak and identify those involved.
In its investigation, the CBI has alleged that the NEET-UG question paper was accessed and questions were provided to students ahead of the examination. The agency had earlier identified and arrested alleged key accused involved in the purported leak and the mobilisation of candidates.
The allegations against Suryawanshi and the other accused are subject to trial and have not yet been established before the court. (ANI)
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