3 min readNew DelhiMay 16, 2026 10:42 PM ISTThe agency claimed that as per forensic experts, the purported screenshot of the paper was fabricated by a school student using a mobile application. (File photo)Amid the heated NEET-UG paper leak row, a Delhi court has pulled up the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for closing the investigation into the 2024 UGC-NET paper leak case.Neetu Nagar, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate at Rouse Avenue Court on Friday demanded a written explanation from the agency, questioning why a closure report was filed in January 2025 despite the CBI’s own findings explicitly stating that a suspect had collected money from candidates by “luring them with leaked question papers”.“Perusal of the closure report shows that it has been mentioned in para no. 16.30 by the IO (investigating officer) concerned that ‘Nikhil Soni has collected money from the aspirants of the UGC-NET 2024 by luring them on pretext of giving/leaking the exam paper’,” said Nagar in her order dated May 15.“It is manifest that crime has been committed as per the contents of para 16.30 but still the investigating officer has ignored the same and filed a closure report for reasons best known to him,” she added.Must Read | Following this, the CBI’s IO told the court that he needed some time to file an explanation in writing for the same, after which the judge posted the matter for May 21.In July 2024, the CBI probe into the alleged UGC-NET paper leak found that the “evidence” — which led the Education Ministry to cancel the exam just a day after over 9 lakh candidates appeared for it across 317 cities on June 18 — was “doctored”.As reported earlier by The Indian Express, just a day later that year, the Centre canceled the exam crucial for entry-level teaching jobs and PhD admissions in Indian universities, following inputs from the Ministry of Home Affairs that stated that “the integrity of the examination may have been compromised”.Story continues below this adThe alleged evidence was a purported screenshot of the paper being circulated on a Telegram channel around 2 pm on the day of the exam, with messages and comments suggesting it was leaked before the first session of the exam.In its closure report filed before a special court in Rouse Avenue Court in January 2025, the CBI said there was no evidence of paper leak in the case. The agency claimed that as per forensic experts, the purported screenshot of the paper was fabricated by a school student using a mobile application. The CBI had found that the said screenshot had been manipulated in a way to create the impression that it was available before the examination.A candidate had allegedly shared a photograph of the question paper on a Telegram channel around 2 pm on June 18, 2024, right after the first session of the UGC-NET. The chatter on the Telegram channels was detected by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre under the MHA. The University Grants Commission was informed the next day. Based on that input, the government had cancelled the exam.The CBI took over the probe on June 23. As per the agency, the modus operandi was deciphered based on an analysis of the screenshot and digital trail of the messages exchanged on the Telegram channel where claims of the paper leak were made.Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023. Professional Background Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University. Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories. Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts. Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials. Recent notable articles In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories. 1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey. 2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation. 3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police. Signature Style Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public. X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... 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