NEET-UG Paper Leak: Doctor Took ₹5 Lakh to Let Candidate Access Leaked Chemistry Paper, CBI Tells Court

New Delhi: The CBI informed a Delhi court on Thursday that a Latur-based paediatrician arrested in the NEET-UG paper-leak case took Rs 5 lakh from a candidate's family and allowed the candidate to access the leaked chemistry paper at his hospital before the examination.

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The submissions were made before Special Judge Ajay Gupta, who was hearing a bail plea filed by paediatrician Manoj Bhagwanrao Shirure. The federal agency told the court that Shirure had referred two other doctors to co-accused P V Kulkarni and the children of these doctors also allegedly benefitted from the paper "leak".

Special Public Prosecutor Neetu Singh told the court that the accused doctor facilitated co-accused Shivraj Motegaonkar's son, Aditya Motegaonkar, to access the leaked chemistry paper at his hospital in the third week of April, ahead of the May 3 NEET-UG examination.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also told the court that an amount of Rs 5 lakh received from the candidate's family was seized from the house of Shirure's sister and further alleged that he had referred two other doctors to Kulkarni and the children of these doctors obtained the leaked chemistry paper after paying Rs 3 lakh each.

Opposing the bail plea, the CBI said the investigation is at a crucial stage involving the analysis of digital evidence, financial transactions, call records and the larger conspiracy, and that the accused's release could prejudice the probe and the trial.

"The plea of absence of criminal antecedents is not decisive in the facts of the present case for bail. Even a first-time accused may be denied bail where the offence alleged is grave, socially harmful and supported by prima-facie material indicating conscious participation," it said.

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The agency contended that Shirure's position as a doctor, hospital owner and office-bearer in educational institutions in Latur gave him the ability to influence witnesses connected with the case.

The CBI also opposed the accused's plea for bail on medical grounds, saying his hypertension and diabetes are manageable conditions and there is nothing to show that adequate treatment cannot be provided in custody.

The agency relied on Supreme Court and high court verdicts to argue that examination fraud undermines merit and public confidence, and warrants a strict approach while considering bail.

After considering the arguments, the court reserved the order for July 22.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

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