3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: May 18, 2026 05:43 PM IST
Hours after arresting Shivraj Motegaonkar, founder of RCC Classes in Maharashtra’s Latur, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) claimed Monday that he is a close friend of P V Kulkarni, a retired lecturer from Pune, who was involved in the examination process on behalf of the National Testing Agency (NTA).
CBI said Motegaonkar, who was arrested Sunday after being questioned for the second time within a week, was an “active member” of the network responsible for leaking and circulating the NEET-UG 2026 question papers before the exam held on May 3. The founder of Renukai Career Centre (RCC) Classes is the tenth person arrested by the Central agency in connection with the case.
“Motegaonkar is close to Kulkarni, Chemistry Lecturer, who is associated with NTA. Searches conducted at his institute and residence resulted in the recovery of a Chemistry question bank which contained exactly the same questions which appeared in the NEET exam held on May 3,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.
CBI arrested Kulkarni from Pune last week, identifying him as the “source of the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper leaks”.
RCC coaching institute, which the agency said operates nine branches with its headquarters in Latur, is widely known in the region for NEET coaching.
Motegaonkar’s arrest marks the latest development in a widening probe that has already led to the arrest of nine persons in this case from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nasik, Pune, Latur and Ahliyanagar.
“Probe is on with the special teams and the investigation conducted so far has brought out the actual source of the leakage of Chemistry and Biology papers, which were circulated before the exam. Further, the middlemen involved in mobilising the students who paid lakhs of rupees to attend the special coaching classes where the questions which would come in the NEET UG-2026 exam were dictated and discussed have also been arrested,” the spokesperson said.
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CBI said it also conducted searches at 5 locations in the last 24 hours and seized several incriminating documents, laptops, and mobile phones.
