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The first hearing before a Special Fast Track Court set up to deal with the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case was deferred after no lawyer appeared for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday.

The court, functioning at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court Complex, was scheduled to hear the bail applications of accused Dinesh Biwal and Vikas Biwal, who were arrested in connection with the alleged paper leak.

The court directed the Director of Prosecution to appoint a public prosecutor for the NEET paper leak case. The matter will now be heard on August 3.

First Hearing Under 2024 Anti-Paper Leak Law

The hearing was expected to mark the first proceeding by the Special Fast Track Court in the NEET-UG paper leak case since its constitution under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

The dedicated court has been established to facilitate faster trials in cases registered under the anti-paper leak legislation, which seeks to curb unfair practices in public examinations and strengthen the integrity of recruitment and entrance tests.

The proceedings are expected to set the stage for further hearings in the high-profile NEET-UG paper leak investigation.

NEET Paper Leak Row Fuelled CJP-Led Protests

The court proceedings come days after the nationwide student agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over the alleged paper leak was called off following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

During the peak of the CJP-led Gen-Z protests last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described examination paper leaks as a “ghor paap” (grave sin). He said the government had acted swiftly by arresting those accused, conducting the NEET re-examination without delay and introducing stringent safeguards to prevent future leaks.

Modi also said those responsible would face the strictest punishment and called for the Centre and state governments to work together to tackle examination malpractice.

Fast-Track Court Expected To Speed Up Proceedings

The creation of the dedicated court is expected to accelerate proceedings in the NEET-UG paper leak case and other offences registered under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

For now, however, the first hearing has been pushed to August 3, when the court is expected to take up the bail pleas of Dinesh Biwal and Vikas Biwal.