New Delhi: Even after investigations have been completed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as many as 158 cases linked to examination malpractice are still pending without trial in courts across India, according to information cited by CBI sources.
The sources said that in Delhi alone, 25 cases have been awaiting trial since 2000 despite the CBI having finished its probe. These include alleged irregularities related to the 2010–11 AIIMS postgraduate medical admissions exam, the 2011 Delhi University medical and dental entrance exam, and a 2004 common entrance test.
In Bihar, three cases linked to the 2024 NEET question paper leak are pending, along with five other cases including alleged medical entrance exam malpractices from 2003 and 2011. The CBI also cited pending cases in several states, including Tamil Nadu (14), West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh (10 each), Rajasthan (8), and Jharkhand and Karnataka (5 each).
With Parliament having passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026—recently approved by President Droupadi Murmu—special courts are to be set up in all states to handle exam malpractice cases. In this backdrop, the CBI said it has decided to approach all High Courts to transfer the 158 pending cases to these special courts.
The agency said it is ready to appoint special public prosecutors and provide necessary support to ensure faster disposal. It also flagged concerns that prolonged delays lead to witnesses ageing or becoming untraceable, and make it harder to identify the accused.
