The Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) arrest of Shivraj Motegaonkar has brought one of Maharashtra’s leading coaching personalities to the center of the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak probe.Motigonkar, the founder of Latur-based RCC Classes, was arrested on Sunday after being questioned for the second time in a week. The CBI has alleged that he was an “active member” of a network involved in leaking and circulating NEET-UG 2026 question papers ahead of the May 3 exam.With his arrest, the number of accused in the case has increased to 10.
CBI has made the allegation.
In a statement, the CBI said searches at the RCC coaching institute and Mutigaonkar’s residence led to the recovery of a chemistry question bank that allegedly contained “exactly the same questions” as those asked in the NEET-UG 2026 exam.“Searches conducted at his institute and residence resulted in the discovery of a chemistry question bank containing exactly the same questions as appeared in the NEET exam held on May 3,” the agency said.Investigators have also alleged that Mutigaonkar was close to PV Kulkarni, a chemistry lecturer associated with the National Testing Agency.NTA).According to the CBI, searches were conducted at five locations in the last 24 hours and investigators seized “several incriminating documents, laptops and mobile phones”. Forensic analysis of the seized material is ongoing, the agency said.The CBI further alleged that the leaked chemistry and biology papers were circulated before the exam and pimps involved in mobilizing students for special coaching sessions were also arrested.
The video that drew attention
A few days before the arrest, a video of the RCC session started circulating online. In the clip, Motigonkar is seen asking students how many questions from the RCC mock test appeared in the current NEET paper. Students are heard to reply that most of them did.The CBI is now testing 42 chemistry questions by the RCC ahead of the exam as “guess questions”, after it allegedly found similarities between the questions and parts of the leaked paper.According to the agency’s arrest warrant, investigators alleged that Motigonkar obtained copies of NEET-UG 2026 question papers and answers before the exam “along with other accused and government employees associated with the National Testing Agency”.The agency also alleged that handwritten copies of the leaked questions and answers were provided to several people, including one Vivek Patil.A search of Motigaonkar’s residence on May 14 allegedly yielded leaked questions from his mobile phone, which have now been sent for forensic examination.The CBI has further alleged that the leaked papers were destroyed after the examination.
Who is Shivraj Motigaonkar?
Motigonkar hails from a farming family in the Latur region of Maharashtra and studied there before embarking on a teaching career in chemistry.According to RCC’s official website, he completed his MSc in Chemistry and started teaching students preparing for board and entrance exams. Over the years, RCC, formally Renukai Career Center, has expanded into one of Maharashtra’s largest coaching networks for NEET, JEE and CET preparation.The institute now operates centers in Latur, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajnagar, Nanded, Solapur, Kolhapur and Akola. The coaching network claims to admit around 40,000 students annually.In Maharashtra’s coaching ecosystem, especially in Latur, RCC has made its mark around entrance exam preparation and rank-focused training. That’s why the arrest has drawn attention beyond the investigation itself. For many students preparing for medical entrance exams in the state, RCC was not an unfamiliar name.
The case so far
The CBI had registered the case on May 12 based on a complaint by the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education regarding the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.Soon after the FIR was registered, special teams were formed and searches were conducted in several states, the agency said. So far arrests have been made from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, Latur and Ahlia Nagar.The accused have been booked under provisions of Bharatiya Naya Sanhita, Prevention of Corruption Act and Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Practices) Act, 2024.The investigation is ongoing. The big question now is whether the investigation remains limited to the local coaching operators and middlemen, or goes deeper into the system that handles the conduct and movement of examination papers.
