Fast-track court, slow start: First NEET paper leak hearing adjourned

On Monday, the bail pleas of two accused — Dinesh Biwal and Vikas Biwal — were listed for hearing before the court of Special Judge Anu Grover Baliga of Rouse Avenue Court.

First hearing in fast-track court in NEET paper leak case adjourned in Delhi court after defence counsel’s request, cjpCJP protesters at Parliament Street. (Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)

Even as the first hearing in a fast-track court against 2026 NEET paper leak case was set to be held on Monday in the Capital, the matter was adjourned following a request from the defence counsel. This request was made a few minutes after the counsel representing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) didn’t show up in the court. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the setting up of fast-track courts last week to tackle the cases of paper leaks following widespread protests against the issue.

On Monday, the bail pleas of two accused — Dinesh Biwal and Vikas Biwal — were listed for hearing before the court of Special Judge Anu Grover Baliga of Rouse Avenue Court.

“None appears on behalf of the state till 10.45 am to argue on the bail application,” the Judge recorded in her order. A few minutes after the hearing began, the counsel representing the CBI showed up in court. However, the defence counsel requested an adjournment.

“Ld. Counsel A P Singh (defence counsel) submits that he has to attend to another matter at Rohini courts and is not in a position to wait any longer. He further requests that the present bail application be adjourned for August 3,” the Judge said in the order.

Adjourning the matter to August 3, the Judge directed the “director of prosecution to depute a public prosecutor in the present court”. The Indian Express has learnt that the CBI is likely to file a chargesheet in the case in the coming week.

This wasn’t the only matter related to the case that the court heard. Around 11:30 am, it took up an application moved by advocate Akhil Rexwal who represented Manisha Sanjay Hawaldar, another accused in the case. The application, which was taken up for three to four minutes, pertained to her medical treatment in jail. The Judge listed the matter for Tuesday and directed that the accused appear via video conferencing so the court can personally ask her whether she’s getting treatment or not.

Currently, only one case – the 2026 NEET paper leak case – has been marked to Judge Baliga. She took charge of the designated court to deal with criminal cases arising from paper leaks and the use of other unfair means in public examinations on Saturday.

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Following PM Modi’s announcement that fast-track courts would be set up to swiftly deal with cases of paper leaks, the Delhi High Court on July 23 issued a notification, saying that Judicial Officer Baliga’s court would function as a “Specially Designated Fast Track Court” to try offences under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and connected offences with immediate effect.

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 ... Read More

 

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