Supreme Court Issues Notice In PIL Seeking Applications Of Money Laundering, Anti-Corruption Laws On Paper Leak Accused

A bench comprising Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe issued notice after briefly hearing advocate and petitioner-in-person Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.

He had filed the petition in the backdrop of the recent NEET paper leak, which affected lakhs of students. He argued that there have been continued failures on the part of the authorities to prevent, investigate and effectively prosecute those responsible for the paper leaks.

This has resulted in the violation of the fundamental rights of students under Articles 14, 16, 19 and 21. He sought a direction to the Centre and States to formulate a 'Standard Questionnaire' and 'Special Investigation Procedure' in order to ensure time-bound investigation and speedy trial of paper leak cases. However, today he pointed out that since the 2026 amendment to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, has now introduced time-bound investigation, he is not pressing for this prayer anymore.

The Court has issued notice for the following prayers:

1. direct the Centre and States to take steps for assessment of entire property of perpetrators and their family members, and accordingly invoke the appropriate provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, Money Laundering Act, Benami Property Act and black money act;

2. direct the Centre and States to take appropriate steps for confiscation of movable and immovable property of perpetrators and their family members, directly and indirectly involved in paper leak; and

3. direct and declare that sentence in paper leak shall be consecutive, not concurrent, in order to prevent such incidents in future;

Case Details: ASHWINI KUMAR UPADHYAY Vs UNION OF INDIA|W.P.(Crl.) No. 264/2026 Diary No. 40857 / 2026