Latur coaching owner Shivraj Motegaonkar paid Rs 5 lakh for NEET‑UG chemistry paper, CBI says

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told a Delhi court that 111 of the 136 handwritten chemistry questions recovered from the mobile phone of Latur‑based coaching centre owner Shivraj Motegaonkar matched the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) master question set for the NEET‑UG 2026 exam.

Motegaonkar is alleged to have paid Rs 5 lakh to former NTA panel member P V Kulkarni to obtain the chemistry paper before the scheduled May 3 examination. The seized phone contained 132 handwritten questions, with metadata showing the images were taken about ten days before the exam.

The CBI opposed Motegaonkar’s bail and, along with the court, extended the judicial custody of the 13 accused in the case until July 24. The original May 3 NEET‑UG exam was cancelled and a re‑test was held on June 21 after the leak was uncovered.