Latur-based private coaching centre director arrested in NEET paper leak case

Pune: The CBI on Sunday night arrested Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, the director of Renukai Career Centre (RCC) in Latur, in the NEET UG paper leak case, prompting a shift in the central investigation agency’s probe focus on suspects involved in the question leak racket operating out of Nanded district.A CBI team from Bengaluru detained Motegaonkar in Latur after conducting searches in his house and took him to the Pune CBI office late on Sunday night. He was later arrested after questioning. The CBI took him to Delhi on Monday morning.Motegaonkar runs a chain of coaching classes in the state. The CBI suspects that the leaked questions were circulated through select coaching centre networks under the guise of “mock tests” conducted shortly before the NEET-UG. A source said Motegaonkar had previously come under the CBI’s scanner and was questioned earlier when he visited Pune.A CBI officer said, “Motegaonkar has been seen in a video saying in his coaching centre that the questions he gave to students were there in the final question paper.”According to the CBI, there is an apprehension that Motegaonkar might have leaked the questions to a large number of candidates through his coaching institute. His links with co-accused Prahlad Kulkarni are also under investigation.Several students appearing in the NEET examination and their parents visited the Pune CBI office on Monday. According to sources, the CBI questioned them.The CBI investigations revealed that Motegaonkar, in a criminal conspiracy with other accused, provided copies of the leaked question paper and answer sheet to several people, including an identified person from Nanded. The CBI was now focusing on these suspects, the officer said.According to the CBI statement to the court in Delhi, Motegoankar is involved in the leak and circulation of NEET-UG questions, in conspiracy with other accused people. The CBI said he had received the chemistry questions and answers prior to the examination, on April 23. The leaked questions of the NEET UG 2026 were allegedly found in his cellphone.Born into a farmer’s family in Hanmantwadi village of Renapur taluka, Motegaonkar faced severe financial hardships during his childhood and had to struggle to pursue education. He later moved to Latur for higher studies. He completed his postgraduation in chemistry from Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University.Motegaonkar initially worked as a lecturer on an hourly basis at colleges in Latur and Umerga. Later, he started private tuition classes in Latur. After establishing himself in the coaching sector, he founded RCC. In the beginning, Motegaonkar taught only chemistry. After realising that the education business was highly profitable, he expanded the setup by arranging coaching for all subjects under one roof.The CBI said Dhananjay Nivrutti Lokhande, arrested earlier from Ahalyanagar, collected the leaked NEET question paper from beauty parlour owner Manisha Waghmare, also arrested in the case. Lokhande gave the leaked paper to Shubham Madhukar Khairnar, who was also arrested. Junior college teacher Manisha Mandhare, a member of the NTA and involved in the process of setting paper, was also arrested last week.(With inputs from Mohammed Akhef in Chhatrapati Shivajinagar)