The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday made another arrest in its ongoing probe into the leak of NEET-UG exam papers. This time, the director of a coaching institute in Latur, Maharashtra, has been caught in the CBI net. The head of the coaching institute, identified as Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, allegedly received the examination paper on April 23, 10 days before the medical entrance test.
The accused was the director of Renukai Chemistry Classes (RCC), at Omkar’s residence located in Shivnagar area of Latur. HT learned that Motegaonkar was part of an organized gang who had the paper on his phone and leaked the questions and answers to several people. His phone is now subject to forensic examination and his relationships with others detained in the case are being investigated by the Central Agency.
Motigaonkar’s arrest is the tenth person arrested by the CBI in the ongoing investigation so far, as nine people were arrested in five states earlier.
Identical questions in mock tests
As reported earlier by HT, the coaching institute headed by Motigaonkar had provided several questions in its mock exams that were allegedly identical to those in the NEET-UG 2026 exam conducted on May 3.
The issue first came to light when a parent pointed out the similarities in the mock test questions of RCC and the actual questions of the NEET paper. The local police began the investigation first, and the Central Bank of Iraq later took over the investigation.
Pune, Latur in NEET Detention Centre
Motigaonkar is the second person from Latur to be arrested in the ongoing investigation. Before him, the CBI had arrested the ‘leader’ of the paper leak, PV Kulkarni, from Latur, a retired chemistry teacher accused of leaking questions to students through secretly organized coaching sessions days before the nationwide exam.
Moreover, the CBI has also arrested Manisha Gurunath Mandhari, a senior botany teacher from Pune. Pune beauty salon owner Manisha Waghmar is another accused who was arrested on May 14.
The CBI investigation so far has revealed that the paper leak began in the last week of April, just days before the May 3 exam. The case first came to light in Rajasthan on May 7, and the CBI formally took over the investigation on May 12 after the Union Education Ministry filed a formal complaint.
More than 22 lakh students appeared for the NEET-UG medical entrance exam on May 3, which has now been cancelled. The re-test has been requested on June 21, and the admit cards will be released by June 14.
(With inputs from Hizb ut-Tahrir correspondents Neeraj Chauhan and Shrinivas Deshpande)
