NEET UG Paper Leak: CBI Moves Closer To Unmask Mastermind, Latur Coaching Centre Owner Arrested

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) moved closer of cracking the NEET UG paper leak case. On Sunday, the CBI conducted searches at premises linked to Renukai Coaching Centre in Maharashtra’s Latur as part of its widening probe into the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case. The coaching institute and its owner, Shivraj Maotegaonkar, came under scrutiny after a video surfaced online purportedly showing him asking students how many questions from the institute’s mock chemistry papers had appeared in the actual NEET examination.According to officials, the CBI is investigating whether the mock question papers circulated by the coaching centre bore similarities to the leaked chemistry paper allegedly connected to accused PV Kulkarni.

The agency is examining a set of 42 chemistry “guess papers” distributed by the institute before the examination.Investigators are also probing whether Maotegaonkar had any direct or indirect links with Kulkarni or other members of the suspected leak network. Officials said the focus of the investigation is now on identifying the “active members of the syndicate” allegedly involved in orchestrating the leak. The agency suspects the conspiracy may have been planned several months before the examination.The CBI believes the alleged operation could have involved coordination between coaching centres, officials linked to the National Testing Agency (NTA), and even individuals connected to the process of selecting examination panel members. So far, the probe agency has arrested nine accused in the case, including two professors who were allegedly part of the NTA examination panel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nse56quc2lQ

During a court hearing on Saturday, the CBI informed the court that an “organised paper leak gang” was behind the NEET-UG 2026 question paper leak. Investigators are now closely examining banking transactions and financial trails to uncover possible money transfers and connections among the accused. The agency is also looking into whether coaching institutes.Almost a week after the NEET UG 2026 exam was cancelled, the CBI has so far, arrested nine accused. However, the federal probe agency is still not able to find the source of the paper leak. Among the 10 arrested accused, three belong to the same family in Rajasthan's Jaipur. It all started when, on May 7, a teacher from Sikar wrote to the National Testing Agency, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the CBI blew the lid off the NEET UG 2026 paper leak. The exam was cancelled, and a probe launched.Also Read: NEET UG 2026 Re-Exam: Avoid These Mistakes Before the May 21 Centre Change DeadlineOn Friday (May 15), the CBI arrested retired Pune lecturer PV Kulkarni, identifying him as the “source of the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper leaks”. Another professor from Pune, Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, was arrested on Saturday. Kulkarni was involved in preparing chemistry questions and reportedly translating them into Marathi. The NTA reportedly uses the same individual for both setting and translation at times to reduce the number of people with access to the paper. Candidates can opt to take NEET-UG in 13 languages.Investigators alleged that both Kulkarni and Mandhare used special coaching sessions to reveal questions linked to the examination.Kulkarni, originally from Maharashtra’s Latur district and later settled in Pune, allegedly followed a method similar to that of co-accused professor Mandhare by revealing exam-related questions to students during private coaching sessions held before the examination.