In a major breakthrough regarding the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made a startling disclosure before a Delhi court. The investigative agency revealed that out of 136 handwritten chemistry questions recovered from the mobile phone of a coaching center operator based in Latur, 111 questions were found to be identical to the master question set prepared for the NEET-UG 2026 examination. This revelation came as part of the CBI's response while opposing the bail plea of the accused individual involved in the high-profile case.
Details of the Recovery and the Accused
According to the CBI, the incriminating handwritten questions were recovered from the mobile phone of Shivraj Motegaonkar. Shivraj is the operator of Renukai Chemistry Classes located in Latur, Maharashtra. 68 lakh subscribers. The agency's investigation suggests that the coaching operator played a pivotal role in the dissemination of the leaked material to students through his established network.
The Chain of the Leak
The CBI's investigation has traced a complex chain of events leading to the leak. The agency claims that co-accused Aditya Motegaonkar had attended special classes conducted by another co-accused, P. V. Kulkarni. It's alleged that the leaked chemistry questions were provided during these specific sessions. Following this, Aditya reportedly prepared handwritten notes based on those questions. During the forensic examination of Shivraj Motegaonkar's mobile device, the CBI recovered 36 images, which included 5 duplicate files. These images contained 132 handwritten chemistry questions, which prima facie appeared to be in the handwriting of Shivraj Motegaonkar himself.
Timeline and Master Set Match
The CBI informed the court that the initial investigation confirmed that 111 of these questions matched the master question set prepared by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for the NEET-UG 2026 exam. Crucially, the capture date of these images on the mobile phone was recorded as 23 April 2026. Given that the NEET-UG 2026 examination was held on 3 May 2026, it's evident that the leaked questions were in the possession of the accused nearly two weeks prior to the actual test date. The agency further claimed that Shivraj Motegaonkar obtained these questions within the premises of Siddhivinayak Hospital in Latur, which is operated by a local pediatrician, Dr. Manoj Shirure.
Financial Transactions and Guess Papers
The investigation has also highlighted the commercial aspect of the paper leak. The CBI alleges that PDF files of the leaked question papers were sold via the messaging platform Telegram for a sum of 10 lakh rupees. On top of that, the agency discovered that a comprehensive 'guess paper' spanning 150 pages and containing 410 questions was distributed among certain candidates several weeks before the examination. According to the CBI, approximately 120 questions from this specific guess paper appeared in the chemistry section of the NEET-UG 2026 exam.
Arrests and Scale of the Examination
The CBI has so far arrested 13 individuals in connection with this case, including both teachers and students. These arrests have been carried out across multiple locations, including Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, Latur, and Ahilyanagar. 7 lakh candidates appearing for the test on 3 May 2026. Following the emergence of paper leak allegations, the NTA officially cancelled the examination on 12 May 2026. The investigation also uncovered the involvement of a 'solver gang' that allegedly collaborated with employees of a biometric company to manipulate the examination process.