Latur: The Central Bureau of Investigation made its tenth arrest in the ongoing NEET-UG paper leak case on Monday, taking Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, a chemistry coaching director from Latur, Maharashtra, into custody. According to federal officials, the leaked examination paper was recovered directly from Motegaonkar’s mobile phone during a CBI search operation conducted on Sunday. Investigators state that the accused is a key member of an organised syndicate heavily involved in procuring and distributing the leaked exam materials.
The probe revealed that Motegaonkar, along with other co-accused individuals, had managed to secure the question paper and answer keys as early as April 23 before circulating them to multiple recipients. The arrest followed an intensive eight-hour interrogation session at his residence by CBI officials on May 15. On Sunday, agency officials raided the main office of his institute, Renukai Chemistry Classes, seizing several incriminating documents and electronic devices.
Motegaonkar’s coaching centre operates across seven districts and boasts an annual turnover of approximately 100 crore rupees. The CBI suspects that the institution provided the leaked questions directly to NEET candidates, and that several local doctors in Latur may have purchased the compromised paper. With this latest development, the total number of arrests in the high-profile NEET-UG paper leak case has reached ten, with six of the accused hailing from Maharashtra.