A Delhi court on Monday sent Latur-based Renukai Career Centre (RCC) founder prof Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar to nine days’ custody of the central bureau of investigation (CBI) in connection with the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2026 paper leak case, as the investigation into the nationwide examination scandal continued to widen.
Special CBI judge Ajay Gupta granted nine days of custodial interrogation after the federal agency sought 10 days’ custody of the accused.
In its remand application, CBI alleged that prof Motegaonkar is directly involved in the leakage and circulation of NEET-UG 2026 examination questions.
“Prof Motegoankar is involved in the leakage and circulation of NEET UG exam questions-2026 and that, in conspiracy with other accused persons, he had received the chemistry questions and answers of the exam before the examination, i.e., on 23 April 2026,” the agency told the court.
Prof Motegaonkar, who runs a coaching centre in Maharashtra’s Latur, was arrested earlier in the day by CBI after prolonged questioning. With his arrest, the total number of accused arrested in the case has risen to 10.
According to investigators, prof Motegaonkar allegedly played an important role in the wider paper leak network that operated across multiple states.
The NEET-UG 2026 examination, originally conducted on 3rd May, was later cancelled following allegations of large-scale malpractice and paper leaks, triggering outrage among students and parents across the country.
The latest development came a day after a Delhi court sent another accused, Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, to 14-day CBI custody. Ms Mandhare, a senior Botany teacher from Pune appointed by the National Testing Agency (NTA), is suspected to be one of the co-masterminds behind the alleged leak of the Biology question paper.
CBI has identified chemistry professor PV Kulkarni as the alleged 'kingpin' of the racket.
During proceedings before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court, CBI alleged that Ms Mandhare conspired with prof Kulkarni and another accused, Manisha Waghmare, to leak examination content.
“Ms Mandhare was in conspiracy with prof 0Kulkarni and Ms Waghmare. She gave the question paper to another accused, Shubham (Khairnar). Simultaneous investigations are going on across the country. We need to take her to different parts of the country for investigation,” agency informed the Court.
Investigators further claimed that Ms Mandhare mobilised prospective NEET candidates through Pune-based consultant Ms Waghmare, who had been arrested earlier this month. CBI alleged that Ms Mandhare conducted special coaching sessions for students at her Pune residence, where she allegedly disclosed Biology questions and instructed students to note them down and mark them in textbooks.
According to the agency, many of those questions later matched the actual NEET-UG 2026 paper.
The probe has now spread across several states, with arrests made from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune and Ahilyanagar. Earlier, five accused were produced before courts and remanded to seven-day police custody for detailed interrogation.
Two additional accused arrested on Friday were produced before a Pune court and later shifted to Delhi after transit remand was granted.
Meanwhile, the NEET controversy is also set to come under parliamentary scrutiny. The Parliamentary standing committee on education, women, children, youth and sports has decided to review the implementation of reforms in the NTA and examine the ongoing investigation into the alleged paper leak.
The committee has summoned NTA chairperson Pradeep Kumar Joshi and senior education ministry officials for deliberations on 21 May 2026, according to a Rajya Sabha notice.
The agenda includes a review of the implementation of the K Radhakrishnan committee report on NTA reforms as well as an update on the progress of the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak investigation.
The alleged leak has renewed concerns over the integrity of India’s centralised entrance examination system and intensified demands for stronger safeguards, accountability mechanisms and institutional reforms within NTA.
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