Re-NEET exam paper leak: Gujarat High Court grants bail to accused

In short

The Gujarat High Court granted bail to a man accused of advertising access to Re-NEET Exam papers on Telegram channels on October 2, 2026.
Justice Hasmukh D Suthar issued the order, noting the investigation is complete and a chargesheet has been filed.
The accused has been in custody since June 13, 2026, and no further recovery or discovery is required from him.
The court cited the prosecution's failure to provide reasons for continued detention and the absence of past antecedents.
Allegations against the applicant included conspiring to leak the Re-NEET Examination and demanding up to Rs. 10,00,000 for papers.

The Gujarat High Court on October 2, 2026, granted bail to a man accused of advertising access to Re-NEET Exam papers through Telegram channels. Justice Hasmukh D Suthar issued the order, noting that the investigation into the matter is complete and a chargesheet has been filed.

The applicant has been in judicial custody since June 13, 2026. The court observed that there was no further need for his detention as nothing remained to be recovered or discovered from him, and the prosecution failed to provide sufficient grounds to prolong his incarceration.

Allegations and Court Observations

The primary allegation against the applicant is that he conspired with co-accused individuals to leak the Re-NEET Examination. This involved allegedly purchasing two SIM cards and using various Telegram channels to flaunt advertisements assuring success to students. These advertisements reportedly lured students by offering exam papers for amounts ranging from Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 10,00,000.

Specifically, Rs. 25,000 was demanded for individual Physics, Chemistry, and Biology papers, while the full paper was offered for Rs. 60,000, accompanied by a ‘Money Back Guarantee’. The court, however, noted that ‘except this no role is attributed to the applicant’ in the broader conspiracy beyond the alleged advertising and fraud through different platforms.

Paper Type	Demanded Amount (INR)
Physics, Chemistry, Biology (each)	25,000
Full Paper (with Money Back Guarantee)	60,000
Per Paper (general range)	60,000 to 10,00,000

Grounds for Bail

Justice Suthar’s decision to grant bail was based on several factors. The court highlighted that the investigation is complete, and a chargesheet has been filed, indicating that the primary investigative work is over. The applicant has been behind bars since June 13, 2026, and there is nothing further to be recovered or discovered from him.

The court also considered that the offense is triable by a Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), suggesting it is not among the most severe categories of offenses. Also, the applicant has no past antecedents, and the prosecution failed to present compelling circumstances to justify continued detention. The court concluded that it was a ‘prima facie’ fit case to exercise discretion and grant regular bail, subject to certain conditions.

Broader Context of NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak

The NEET-UG 2026 examination was cancelled following widespread allegations of a paper leak, which led to protests across India. A re-examination was subsequently scheduled for June 21, 2026. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is actively investigating the paper leak and has charged 13 individuals in connection with the case. A Delhi court took cognisance of the CBI’s chargesheet involving these 13 accused on August 12, 2026.

In a related development, the Delhi High Court on June 18, 2026, upheld a temporary blocking order against Telegram, implemented by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). This action was taken due to concerns that Telegram was being used to distribute leaked exam papers and support cheating. The National Testing Agency (NTA) had stated that Telegram’s message-editing feature was exploited to create fabricated “after-the-event” evidence of question paper leaks. Earlier, on September 15, 2026, the Ahmedabad Sessions Court rejected the bail petition of Akash Meena in a related NEET paper leak and online fraud case.

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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