The investigation into the alleged NEET UG 2026 paper leak has taken a dramatic turn after investigators recovered a leaked Chemistry question paper from the mobile phone of a coaching institute founder in Maharashtra. The discovery was made during a search conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Latur, a city widely known for its strong network of medical entrance coaching institutes.
According to officials involved in the probe, the accused, Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, runs Renukai Chemistry Classes in Latur. CBI teams conducted a search operation at his premises on Sunday as part of the expanding investigation into the suspected leak of the NEET examination paper. During the operation, investigators reportedly found a copy of the Chemistry question paper for the NEET UG exam stored on Motegaonkar’s mobile phone.
Following the discovery, the agency arrested him and brought him to Delhi for further questioning. On Monday, a Delhi court sent Motegaonkar to nine days of CBI custody to allow investigators to interrogate him and gather more information about the alleged leak network. Special CBI judge Ajay Gupta granted the custodial interrogation after the federal agency requested ten days of custody, though the court approved nine days.
Officials believe the arrest could help them uncover a wider network that may have been involved in leaking and circulating the examination paper ahead of the test. Investigators suspect that the accused may not have acted alone and that multiple individuals could have played roles in accessing and distributing the question paper before the exam.
The arrest in Latur comes shortly after another major development in the case. Just two days earlier, the CBI had arrested Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a biology lecturer from Pune who was allegedly associated with the paper-setting committee of the National Testing Agency (NTA), the body responsible for conducting the NEET examination. Mandhare was questioned in Delhi before being taken into custody.
Investigators are now trying to determine whether the leak occurred during the paper-setting stage or later in the process when the question papers were being handled or transmitted. Authorities suspect that the question paper and answer key may have been shared with select individuals before the examination took place.
CBI officials say their investigation points toward an organised network that may have facilitated the leak and helped circulate the exam material among several candidates. Digital evidence such as mobile data, communication records and financial transactions are currently being analysed to identify others who might be involved.
The agency has been actively conducting searches and questioning individuals in Latur for the past several days. The city has long been regarded as one of India’s major coaching hubs for competitive examinations, especially for students preparing for medical entrance tests like NEET.
The controversy began earlier this month when allegations surfaced that the NEET UG examination conducted on May 3 had been compromised due to a paper leak. As the complaints grew louder and students demanded action, authorities cancelled the examination and ordered a federal investigation.
Soon after, the CBI registered a First Information Report and launched a nationwide probe to trace the origin of the leak. Investigators are now working to piece together how the question paper was accessed before the exam and how it may have been circulated among certain groups.
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The case has sparked widespread concern among students, parents and education experts, many of whom fear that such incidents undermine the credibility of one of India’s most important entrance examinations. Thousands of students spend years preparing for the NEET exam, and any breach in its security raises serious questions about fairness and transparency.
Authorities have assured that strict action will be taken against anyone found responsible for the leak. As the investigation continues, more arrests and revelations are expected in the coming days as the CBI works to dismantle the alleged network behind the paper leak.
Summary:
The CBI’s arrest of a Latur-based coaching institute founder after recovering a leaked NEET Chemistry question paper from his phone has significantly widened the investigation into the NEET UG 2026 paper leak. With another arrest already made earlier and investigators probing a possible organised network, the case continues to raise serious concerns about exam security and fairness for millions of medical aspirants across the country.