NEET leak accused seeks Shivaji biography, Hanuman Chalisa in jail
A Delhi court allowed an accused in the NEET-UG leak case to receive religious books, including a Shivaji Maharaj biography and Hanuman Chalisa, in judicial custody.
An accused in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case has been permitted by a Delhi court to access religious texts while in judicial custody. Dhananjay Nivrutti Lokhande, the eighth accused in the matter, filed an application seeking the provision of three specific books.
According to the court order dated September 1, Special Judge Ajay Gupta directed jail authorities to provide the requested material, subject to standard security checks and jail manual rules. The books can be supplied by a family member or authorised counsel.
Lokhande had requested a copy of Shrimaan Yogi, a biographical novel on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, along with the Hanuman Chalisa and texts of the Mangal Strota.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the case, has alleged that Lokhande played a key role in the circulation of the leaked paper. The agency claims he received the exam material from co-accused Manisha Waghmare and subsequently transmitted it to another accused, Shubham Khairnar.
The CBI's broader investigation has revealed that three subject experts allegedly removed questions from the National Testing Agency (NTA) office in Delhi. One reportedly wrote questions on paper chits, while two others memorised them and later noted them down or marked relevant sections in NCERT textbooks. The agency has stated that the individuals were not frisked upon exiting the confidential section, which also lacked a dedicated CCTV monitoring room.
So far, the CBI has made 13 arrests in connection with the case. The NEET-UG exam, held on May 3, was cancelled following the alleged leak. A retest was conducted on June 21, with results announced on July 16.