The investigation into the alleged NEET paper leak has uncovered what agencies describe as a highly organised and “professional” racket operating through coaching networks in Maharashtra’s Latur district,
long considered one of the country’s biggest hubs for medical entrance preparation.
At the centre of the probe is accused Shivraj Motegaonkar, who investigators claim was allegedly running the operation through a structured payment model where money was collected only after results appeared favourable. According to officials familiar with the investigation, the alleged formula was simple – “work first, payment later.”
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Probe agencies claim deals ranged anywhere between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 30 lakh depending on the score expectations and the level of “assurance” allegedly promised to parents. In some cases, investigators have reportedly found that parents, desperate to secure medical admissions for their children, were even willing to provide blank cheques.
The spotlight has now turned towards Latur-based RCC Institute, a premium NEET coaching centre with a strong success record. Investigators suspect that students’ financial backgrounds were allegedly assessed before parents were approached with promises of “guaranteed selection.”
Officials claim parents were first asked to pay token amounts before the examination. The remaining money was allegedly transferred only after students and parents confirmed that several questions from the circulated question bank had appeared in the actual NEET paper.
However, the alleged network may not have worked uniformly for everyone. Some parents have reportedly approached agencies claiming that the Physics paper did not match the question set they were given, raising questions about whether multiple channels or selective access existed within the operation.
The investigation has also placed some doctors under the scanner, as many students enrolled at the institute are children of medical professionals. Agencies suspect that a section of parents, driven by the pressure of securing MBBS admissions, may have been willing to pay any amount.
The controversy has now cast a shadow over Latur’s celebrated NEET success model. According to NTA’s 2024 data, 24,496 students from Latur appeared for NEET. Of them, 1,245 scored above 600 marks, 376 crossed 650, while 25 students secured over 700 marks. Five students reportedly scored above 710.
With the probe widening, investigators are now expected to re-examine NEET performance patterns from the region over the past several years.
