NEET paper leak: A Delhi court on Monday sent Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, popularly known as “M sir”, to nine days of CBI custody in connection with the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, according to PTI.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had earlier arrested the founder of Renukai Chemistry Classes (RCC) in Maharashtra’s Latur after allegedly recovering a leaked copy of the NEET-UG question paper from his mobile phone during searches.
According to officials, searches were carried out on Sunday at Motegaonkar’s coaching institute and other locations linked to him. The agency later took him into custody, alleging that he played a role in leaking and circulating the medical entrance exam paper before the test held on April 23.
The CBI has alleged that Motegaonkar was an “active member of the organised gang” accused of leaking and distributing the NEET-UG question paper, officials told PTI.
Investigators claim that he conspired with other accused individuals to obtain the NEET-UG 2026 question paper and answer key before the examination and later shared the leaked material with several people.
The agency had questioned Motegaonkar for nearly eight hours at his home in Latur on Friday. On Sunday, CBI teams also conducted searches at the RCC coaching centre in the Shivnagar area of the city.
From small tuition classes to a famous coaching name
Motegaonkar’s arrest has surprised many students and parents in Latur, where he was widely recognised as “M sir”.
Coming from an agricultural family, he reportedly began his teaching career by taking private tuition classes and travelling around the city on a bicycle to teach students. In the late 1990s, he started his coaching institute from a rented room with around 10 students.
An M.Sc. gold medalist in Chemistry, the 46-year-old later built RCC into a well-known coaching institute for students preparing for NEET, JEE and CET examinations.
In the initial years, he was personally involved in preparing handwritten study materials, conducting small classroom sessions and mentoring students himself. Over time, RCC became associated with the “Latur Pattern”, a teaching model that gained popularity across Maharashtra for producing top-ranking students in competitive exams.
Investigators are now looking into his alleged connection with retired chemistry professor PV Kulkarni, another accused in the paper leak case. Kulkarni had reportedly taught at RCC in the past, and officials are examining whether their association had any role in the alleged leak network.
CBI investigating wider exam leak network
The CBI had earlier arrested Kulkarni and biology lecturer Manisha Mandhare in connection with the same case. Officials said both were linked through another accused, Manisha Waghmare, who is also in CBI custody.
According to investigators, Kulkarni and Mandhare allegedly used Waghmare to identify NEET aspirants for special sessions organised before the examination.
Officials claimed students paid several lakh rupees to attend these sessions. During the classes, students were allegedly asked to write down questions that later matched the actual NEET-UG examination paper.
The case has once again raised concerns among lakhs of NEET aspirants and parents across the country, many of whom spend years preparing for one of India’s most competitive entrance examinations hoping for a fair and transparent process.