NEET-UG 2026 paper leak: CBI arrests Latur coaching owner, 10 held
Synopsis
The NEET-UG 2026 paper leak probe has reached a coaching institute in Latur: the CBI found a Chemistry question bank at RCC Coaching that matched the cancelled exam paper exactly. With 10 arrests now spanning seven cities and the leak source identified, the case points to a structured racket — not a one-off breach — striking at the heart of India's medical admissions system.
Key Takeaways
Shivaraj Motegaonkar , owner of RCC Coaching Institute in Latur, Maharashtra , arrested by the CBI on 18 May as the 10th accused in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case.
A Chemistry question bank recovered from the institute contained questions identical to those in the cancelled NEET-UG 2026 exam held on 3 May .
Motegaonkar is allegedly close to P.V.
Kulkarni , a Chemistry lecturer associated with the National Testing Agency (NTA) .
The CBI registered the case on 12 May after a complaint from the Ministry of Education ; arrests span Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nasik, Pune, Latur , and Ahliyanagar .
Investigators have identified the source of leaked Chemistry and Biology papers and arrested middlemen who charged students lakhs of rupees for access to the leaked material.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday, 18 May arrested Shivaraj Motegaonkar, director of the RCC Coaching Institute in Latur, Maharashtra, in connection with the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, taking the total number of arrests to 10. The arrest follows the recovery of a Chemistry question bank from the institute that contained questions identical to those in the now-cancelled NEET-UG 2026 examination held on 3 May.
Who Is Shivaraj Motegaonkar
Motegaonkar owns and operates the RCC Coaching Institute, which prepares students for the NEET-UG medical entrance examination. The institute runs nine branches, with its principal campus in Latur. According to the CBI, Motegaonkar is believed to be closely associated with P.V. Kulkarni, a Chemistry lecturer linked to the National Testing Agency (NTA), who had previously been questioned by the agency.
Key Evidence Recovered
Searches carried out at the RCC Coaching Institute and at Motegaonkar's residence yielded a Chemistry question bank containing questions that exactly matched those in the cancelled NEET-UG 2026 paper. Since Sunday, the CBI has conducted searches at five locations across multiple cities, seizing incriminating documents, laptops, and mobile phones. Detailed forensic analysis of the seized material is currently under way, the agency said.
Scope of the Investigation
The CBI registered the paper leak case on 12 May following a written complaint from the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India. Special investigation teams were immediately constituted and deployed across the country. The probe has so far identified the actual source of the leaked Chemistry and Biology papers, which were reportedly circulated among select students before the examination date.
Arrests have been made in Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nasik, Pune, Latur, and Ahliyanagar. The nine accused arrested prior to Motegaonkar have been produced before a court and remanded to CBI custody for further interrogation. Motegaonkar was also produced before a court following his arrest, and the CBI is expected to seek his custody as well.
The Middlemen Network
Investigators have also arrested middlemen who allegedly mobilised students willing to pay lakhs of rupees to attend special coaching sessions where leaked questions — matching those that appeared in the NEET-UG 2026 exam — were reportedly taught. This points to a structured, multi-city racket rather than an isolated breach. Notably, this is the second consecutive year in which NEET-UG has been embroiled in a paper leak controversy, raising serious questions about the integrity of India's premier medical entrance examination.
What Happens Next
The investigation is ongoing, with special CBI teams continuing their work across multiple states. The cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 exam on 3 May has left hundreds of thousands of aspirants in uncertainty over rescheduling. The Supreme Court and the Ministry of Education are likely to face renewed pressure to overhaul examination security protocols.
Point of View
Yet systemic reforms to examination security have lagged. With hundreds of thousands of medical aspirants in limbo, the credibility of the NTA itself is on trial — and a fresh exam date without structural fixes would merely reset the clock on the next scandal.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Shivaraj Motegaonkar and why was he arrested?
Shivaraj Motegaonkar is the director of RCC Coaching Institute in Latur, Maharashtra, which runs nine branches training students for NEET-UG. He was arrested by the CBI on 18 May 2026 as the 10th accused in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case after investigators recovered a Chemistry question bank at his institute containing questions identical to those in the cancelled exam.
What evidence did the CBI find at RCC Coaching Institute?
The CBI found a Chemistry question bank at the RCC Coaching Institute and Motegaonkar's residence that contained exactly the same questions as those in the now-cancelled NEET-UG 2026 exam held on 3 May. Investigators also seized laptops, mobile phones, and incriminating documents from five locations since Sunday.
How many people have been arrested in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case?
A total of 10 people have been arrested so far, from cities including Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nasik, Pune, Latur, and Ahliyanagar. The nine previously arrested accused have been remanded to CBI custody, and Motegaonkar was produced before a court after his arrest.
What is the connection between the coaching institute and the NTA?
According to the CBI, Motegaonkar is believed to be closely associated with P.V. Kulkarni, a Chemistry lecturer linked to the National Testing Agency (NTA), who had earlier been questioned by the agency. This alleged link is central to investigators' theory about how the leaked papers were sourced.
What happens to students who appeared for NEET-UG 2026?
The NEET-UG 2026 examination, held on 3 May, has been cancelled following the paper leak. The rescheduling of the exam has not yet been officially announced, leaving hundreds of thousands of medical aspirants uncertain about their admissions timeline.
