NEET leak: Delhi court remands kingpin Kulkarni to 14 days’ judicial custody

A Delhi court on Wednesday sent NEET paper leak case alleged kingpin Prahlad Vithalrao Kulkarni and another accused, Shivraj Raghunath, to 14-day judicial custody.

Special Judge Vidya Prakash who was acting Duty Metropolitan Magistrate sent both of them to judicial custody till June 10.

They were produced on the day their police custody ended.

The CBI has arrested 13 persons so far in connection with the matter.

According to the CBI, Kulkarni, a chemistry lecturer in Pune, was involved in the NEET process on behalf of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and had access to the question papers.

The agency said earlier that during the last week of April, Kulkarni mobilised students with the help of Manisha Waghmare, also arrested, and conducted special coaching classes for them at his house in Pune.

The CBI had earlier arrested Doctor Manoj Shirure and physics teacher Tejas Harshadkumar Shah. Both were sent to police custody till June 1.

Manisha Sanjay Havaldar was the 11th person arrested in the case.

The other accused were identified as Shubham Khairnar, the first arrestee from Nashik, Mangilal Khatik, Vikas and Dinesh Biwal, all three arrested from Jaipur, Yash Yadav, arrested from Gurugram, and Dhananjay Lokhande, arrested from Ahilyanagar in Maharashtra.

On May 16, the CBI arrested biology lecturer Manisha Mandhare, who was part of the NTA paper-setting committee.

On May 12, the NTA cancelled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET, held on May 3 for medical admissions amid allegations of paper leak. A re-examination has been scheduled for June 21.

Read More: NEET paper leak case: Court sends accused Manisha Havaldar to 6-day CBI custody