The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday made another arrest in the ongoing NEET-UG exam paper leak probe. This time, the director of a coaching institute in Maharashtra's Latur was caught in the CBI net. Identified as Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, the coaching institute head allegedly received the exam paper on April 23, 10 days before the medical entrance test.
The accused was the director of Renukai Chemistry Classes (RCC), in Omkar Residency located in Shivnagar area of Latur. HT has learnt that Motegaonkar was part of an organised gang who had the paper on his phone and had leaked the questions and answers to several persons. His phone is now under forensic examination and his ties others arrested in the case is being probed by the central agency.
Motegaonkar's arrest makes for the 10th person the CBI has caught in the ongoing probe so far, with nine arrests across five states being made earlier.
Identical questions in mock tests
As stated in an earlier HT report, the coaching institute Motegaonkar headed presented several questions in its mock tests that were allegedly identical to those in the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3.
The matter first came to light when a parent flagged similarities in the mock test questions of the RCC and the actual questions of the NEET paper. Local police first began the probe, which was later taken over by the CBI.
Pune, Latur at centre of NEET arrests
{{/usCountry}}The matter first came to light when a parent flagged similarities in the mock test questions of the RCC and the actual questions of the NEET paper. Local police first began the probe, which was later taken over by the CBI.
Pune, Latur at centre of NEET arrests
{{/usCountry}}Motegaonkar is the second person to have been arrested from Latur in the ongoing probe. Before him, the CBI arrested “kingpin” of the paper leak, PV Kulkarni, from Latur, who is a retired chemistry teacher accused of leaking the questions to students through secretly organised coaching sessions days before the nationwide test.
Besides, the CBI has also arrested Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a senior botany teacher from Pune. A Pune-based beauty parlour owner, Manisha Waghmare, is another accused who was arrested on May 14.
The CBI probe has so far revealed that the paper leak operation began in the final week of April, just days before the May 3 exam. The case had first surfaced in Rajasthan on May 7, and the CBI formally took over the probe on May 12 after the Union education ministry filed a formal complaint.
Over 22 lakh students appeared in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam on May 3, which now stands cancelled. A retest has been ordered for June 21, and admit cards will be released by June 14.
(With inputs from HT correspondents Neeraj Chauhan and Shrinivas Deshpande).