New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told a special court on Wednesday that Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, owner of a coaching centre in Latur who was arrested in connection with the NEET paper-leak probe, paid ₹5 lakh to obtain chemistry questions from PV Kulkarni. Kulkarni, also arrested in the case, served on the National Testing Agency (NTA) panel that set the NEET (UG) question papers and has been described by investigators as the “kingpin” in the alleged leak.
In its reply to a bail application filed by Motegaonkar, the CBI said he “in conspiracy with the co-accused, procured NEET (UG) leaked chemistry questions prior to exam, and paid ₹5 lakh for the same”.
According to the agency, Motegaonkar used the material supplied during Kulkarni’s chemistry tutorial classes to prepare handwritten notes.
The probe team recovered Motegaonkar’s mobile phone and located 36 images (including five duplicates) that contained 132 handwritten chemistry questions, the CBI stated. It contended that 111 of those questions match with questions in the NTA’s master question sets compiled for NEET (UG) 2026. The agency asserted the notes were “purportedly in the handwriting of Motegaonkar”, and that metadata analysis indicated the pictures were taken about 10 days prior to the May 3 NEET (UG) examination.
“Incriminating notes of chemistry questions relating to NEET UG 2026, allegedly in the handwriting of …Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar was recovered from his mobile phone. The money allegedly paid for sourcing the leaked questions was recovered by CBI at the instance of co-accused Manoj Bhagwanrao Shirure,” the agency said, according to PTI.
The CBI has so far arrested 13 people in the investigation; all remain in judicial custody.
Motegaonkar was arrested by the CBI on 17 May, while Shirure was taken into custody in the Delhi on the night of 26 May. Both are lodged at Tihar jail since.
The NTA had cancelled the NEET-UG exam held on May 3 amid allegations of a paper leak and conducted a re-examination on June 21.
