Supreme Court notice on paper leak property confiscation PIL

The India — Supreme Court of India issued notice to the India and state governments on a Public Interest Litigation filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay seeking directions to confiscate movable and immovable property of offenders and their family members involved in exam question paper leak cases. The bench of Justices Vas Narasimhan and Alok Aradhe fixed September 25 as the next hearing date. Upadhyay withdrew his prayer for time-bound investigations and trials, citing the passage of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. The plea also seeks invocation of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, Benami Transactions Act, and Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, and requests consecutive sentencing for paper leak offences. The petition highlights the severe impact of paper leaks on students, including mental trauma, financial burdens, and suicides.