In the UGC NET case of 2024, for example, a Delhi court in May 2026 criticised the CBI for filing a closure report despite possessing, in the court's assessment, evidence of a leak.The fast track courts, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday, to address the issue of exam paper leaks, have their task cut out. In a system where accountability for exam leaks has been dismal with most cases stuck in legal quicksand.An investigation by The Indian Express, published on June 5, found that of 45 major exam leaks between 2002 and 2025, each involving at least one lakh candidates or applicants, only two led to convictions.The biggest challenge, this newspaper found, is poor quality of investigation and the relatively lenient treatment of paper leaks as ordinary offences with no stringent bail conditions.On multiple occasions, the courts rejected “closure reports” filed by probe agencies mainly citing lack of evidence, or reprimanded them for lapses in investigation.In the 2016 Karnataka PUC Chemistry paper leak, for example, the Bengaluru Sessions Court acquitted 19 accused, including senior officials and the alleged kingpin booked under the stringent Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA), in May 2024, citing serious investigative shortcomings.In another case from that year — the UP Public Service Commission examination for the posts of Review Officer and Assistant Review Officer — a Special Judicial Magistrate rejected the closure report filed by the UP Police’s CB-CID in 2018 and ordered a reinvestigation in 2020.There have been instances where cases were closed in haste, too.In the UGC NET case of 2024, for example, a Delhi court in May 2026 criticised the CBI for filing a closure report despite possessing, in the court’s assessment, evidence of a leak.Story continues below this adAccording to investigators and officials, paper leaks are often treated under the law as ordinary offences. “Most cases were registered under IPC Sections such as 420 (cheating), 467 and 468 (forgery), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) — all ordinary offences that carry no stringent bail conditions. Some states have brought in the Enforcement Directorate to invoke the money laundering law… UP has, on occasion, applied the Gangsters Act to attach properties and extend custody,” a senior official associated with a Central investigation told this newspaper.One area where fast-track courts can potentially make a difference is in accelerating the process. For, as The Indian Express investigation found, in several cases, trials proceeded slowly when charges are framed. An illustrative example is the 2006 Railway Group-D case, which has seen 142 hearings between 2012 and 2026 and is still at the “witness stage”.Outside the court, too, there are three key gaps that need to be plugged.* Rot within: The institutions meant to prevent leaks were sometimes enabling them. For instance, the Rajasthan High Court found that Rajasthan Public Service Commission members themselves were complicit in the 2021 Sub-Inspector exam leak.Story continues below this ad* Evolving rackets: Leak rackets have transformed rapidly, leaving the investigative and legal apparatus several steps behind. Criminal networks have moved from fax transmissions to Bluetooth devices, remote-access software and compromised printing and logistics firms.* Weak links in chain: Poor security at the printing and transport stage of exam papers are hard to trace and prosecute. Two examples: The 2023 Bihar Police Constable leak, where a printing firm diverted papers to an unauthorised private warehouse; the 2024 UP Police Constable leak, where the sealed trunks containing exam papers were tampered with while keeping the official seals intact.