NEET paper leak case: CBI says Pune woman shared exam questions with students for money
NEET paper leak: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday told a Delhi court that one of the accused in the NEET paper leak case, Manisha Sanjay Waghmare, allegedly distributed leaked question papers to students after taking money from them.
The submission was made before Special Judge Ajay Gupta during the hearing of Manisha Waghmare's bail application. The court has reserved its decision on the plea and is expected to deliver the order on June 9.
Opposing the bail request, the CBI informed the court that Manisha Waghmare allegedly provided students with questions from Physics, Chemistry and Biology sections of the NEET examination. According to the agency, statements recorded from several students indicate that money was paid in exchange for access to the leaked papers.
The prosecution claimed that Manisha Waghmare played an active role in circulating the question papers among candidates before the examination.
Seeking bail for his client, Manisha Waghmare's lawyer argued that the 47-year-old is a certified education counsellor and had not engaged in any unlawful activity. The defence also pointed out that no cash was recovered during searches and that investigators did not find any incriminating material on the two mobile phones seized from her.
The lawyer further informed the court that she suffers from health issues, including vertigo, and requested her release on bail.
She was arrested on May 14 and is currently lodged in judicial custody.
According to the CBI, Manisha Waghmare, who also runs a beauty parlour in Pune, allegedly received the leaked question papers from the suspected mastermind, PV Kulkarni. The agency claims she later passed the papers to co-accused Dhananjay Lokhande and other individuals connected to the case.
Investigators have further alleged that Kulkarni conducted special coaching sessions for students at his residence in Pune and that Manisha Waghmare helped him identify and bring students into the network.
The CBI has also claimed that Waghmare destroyed the leaked papers after the NEET examination was conducted on May 3.
So far, the agency has arrested 13 persons in connection with the paper leak case, and all of them remain in judicial custody.
Earlier this week, a Delhi court sent three other accused, including an NTA-appointed physics translator, a paediatrician from Latur and a physics tutor, to 14 days of judicial custody.
The controversy led the National Testing Agency (NTA) to cancel the NEET-UG examination held on May 3 following allegations of a paper leak. The re-examination is scheduled to take place on June 21.
- With inputs from agencies
