CBI questions Latur coaching director in NEET UG 2026 paper leak probe

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the alleged NEET (UG) paper leak, on Friday questioned the director of a prominent coaching centre in Maharashtra's Latur city, officials said. A CBI team visited the residence of Shivraj Motegaonkar, the director of Renukai Chemistry Classes (RCC), in Omkar Residency located in Shivnagar area on Thursday night and again on Friday early morning to conduct an inquiry into the paper leak case. The CBI team currently camping in Latur comprises 28 members. When media persons asked a CBI officer about the probe into the case when he was stepping out of Motegaonkar's residence around 12.30 pm, he refused to answer. The CBI reached Latur on Wednesday and detained P V Kulkarni, a retired faculty member who taught chemistry at a local college, in connection with the paper leak probe.

Kulkarni retired from a reputed college four years ago and he was in the NEET's paper setting committee for chemistry subject, the officials said. The NEET (UG) 2026 exam for admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges, held on May 3, was cancelled on May 12 amid allegations of paper leak. The government asked the CBI to carry out an inquiry. A student's parent had lodged a complaint at the Superintendent of Police's office in Latur on Tuesday, claiming that 42 questions in a mock test conducted by a private coaching institute in Latur were identical to those that appeared in the NEET exam. Based on his complaint, Superintendent of Police Amol Tambe had directed Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Sameersinh Salve to conduct an inquiry into the matter. The police have also questioned six persons, including coaching class staff, students and counsellors, in Latur in this connection. Besides, they have seized CCTV footage from two coaching centres. Before the detention of Kulkarni in Latur, the CBI detained three persons from parts of Maharashtra --Shubham Khairnar (30) from Nashik, beautician Manisha Waghmare from Pune and Dhananjay Lokhande (26) from Rahuri in Ahilyanagar - in the case.