CBI raids Latur coaching centre in NEET UG 2026 paper leak probe

The Central Bureau of Investigation has intensified its investigation into the NEET UG 2026 paper leak case by conducting raids at premises linked to Renukai Coaching Centre in Maharashtra’s Latur district.

The action followed the emergence of a viral video in which the institute’s owner, Shivraj Maotegaonkar, allegedly asked students how many questions from the centre’s chemistry mock papers had appeared in the NEET UG examination.

Officials said the probe is examining whether the chemistry “guess papers” circulated by the coaching institute matched the leaked question paper allegedly linked to accused PV Kulkarni. Investigators are currently reviewing 42 chemistry mock papers distributed before the exam.

The CBI is also investigating possible links between Maotegaonkar, Kulkarni and other accused persons connected to the alleged paper leak network. According to officials, the conspiracy may have been planned several months before the examination.

The agency suspects the operation involved coordination between coaching institutes, officials associated with the National Testing Agency and individuals linked to the examination panel process.

So far, the CBI has arrested nine accused, including two professors allegedly associated with the NTA examination panel.

During a court hearing on Saturday, the CBI informed the court that an organised network was behind the NEET UG 2026 paper leak. Investigators are now examining financial transactions and bank records to trace money trails and identify wider links among the accused.

The investigation was launched after a teacher from Rajasthan’s Sikar district wrote to the NTA, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the CBI on May 7, alleging a possible leak of the examination paper.

On May 15, the CBI arrested retired Pune lecturer P. V. Kulkarni and identified him as a key accused in the case. Another Pune-based professor, Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, was arrested a day later.

According to investigators, Kulkarni allegedly prepared chemistry questions and translated them into Marathi during the examination process. Officials claim he and Mandhare disclosed examination-related questions to students during private coaching sessions conducted before NEET UG 2026.