New Delhi, June 9: A Delhi court on Tuesday dismissed the bail plea of Manisha Waghmare, an accused in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The order was passed by the Rouse Avenue Court after hearing arguments from both sides.

During the hearing, Waghmare’s counsel argued that she is a certified education counsellor and receives regular income through counselling services. The defence contended that the CBI’s allegation regarding a financial transaction was misconceived, claiming that around Rs 3.5 lakh credited to her account had come from the execution of a gift deed relating to ancestral property.

It was also argued that the CBI had conducted searches at her residence on two occasions but had not recovered any cash or material linking her to the alleged offence.

Opposing the plea, the CBI argued that Waghmare was not merely an education consultant but also ran a beauty parlour and played an active role in circulating leaked examination questions.

The probe agency claimed that Waghmare was involved in leaking examination questions to students in exchange for money and relied upon statements of candidates who allegedly stated that they had paid her for access to the leaked questions.

The Rouse Avenue Court, after considering the rival submissions, rejected the bail application.

The case pertains to the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper, following which the CBI registered an FIR on May 12 on the basis of a complaint lodged by the Department of Higher Education under the Union Ministry of Education.

According to the CBI, Waghmare was among the intermediaries involved in mobilising students who allegedly paid lakhs of rupees to attend special coaching sessions where questions that later appeared in the NEET-UG 2026 examination were dictated and discussed.

The agency has claimed that Pune-based consultant Waghmare facilitated prospective candidates for special coaching classes conducted by NTA-appointed senior Botany teacher Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, who is suspected to be the co-mastermind behind the Biology paper leak.

The CBI has identified Chemistry professor P.V. Kulkarni as the alleged “kingpin” of the paper leak network.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is scheduled to conduct the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination on June 21, with admit cards expected to be issued by June 14. The original examination was cancelled on May 12 following allegations of a paper leak.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court declined to direct the NTA to conduct the re-examination in a computer-based test (CBT) mode. A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Aravind Kumar observed that such a direction could not be granted at that stage when authorities were already engaged in conducting the fresh examination. The matter has been posted for hearing in July along with other pleas seeking reforms in the functioning of the NTA. The re-test is set to proceed in the existing pen-and-paper format.

Mumbai: Maharashtra government cabinet decision The state government cabinet meeting was held today (June 9) under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Important decisions were taken in this cabinet meeting. (Maharashtra Government) An important decision has been taken for the farmers in the cabinet meeting. Those farmers who were deprived of the previous loan waiver scheme have now also been included in the loan waiver. About Rs 14,000 crore has been allocated for this. Many farmers were not included in the loan waiver of 2017 and 2019. There was a repeated demand to provide the benefit of loan waiver to these farmers. Therefore, today the state government has taken an important decision in the cabinet meeting for more than 5 lakh farmers who were deprived of the loan waiver of 2017 and 2019.

Mumbai: The Mumbai Municipal Corporation administration is appealing to the slum dwellers living in the hilly areas of Vikhroli and Bhandup to migrate to a safer place within the limits of the ‘S’ Zone Office. The administration has issued a warning to the slum dwellers living on the hills/slopes of the hills in Surya Nagar in Vikhroli West area, Indira Nagar in Powai, Gautam Nagar, Paspoli, Jaibhim Nagar and Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar Part 1 and 2, Naradas Nagar, Govindi, Compound in Bhandup West, Khandipara, Ram Nagar, Hanuman Nagar, Hanuman Tekri, Ashok Tekri. There is a possibility of landslides due to heavy rains during the monsoon season, landslides due to the flow of water flowing from the mountains due to rain and flooding of houses due to the fear of flooding in the drains. The S Division Office has already issued precautionary instructions/notices to the dangerous buildings/shacks in the area. Therefore, as a precaution, the Municipal Corporation administration is once again appealing to the local residents of the concerned areas to move to a safer place on their own. The responsibility of the residents living there without moving will be their own. The Assistant Commissioner of ‘S’ Division is being informed that the Mumbai Municipal Corporation administration will not be responsible for any accident or loss of life or property due to natural calamities.