Who is Shivraj Motegaonkar? RCC founder becomes 10th arrest in NEET UG 2026 paper leak case
The Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) arrest of Shivraj Motegaonkar has brought one of Maharashtra’s known coaching figures into the centre of the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak investigation.Motegaonkar, founder of Latur-based RCC Classes, was arrested on Sunday after being questioned for the second time in a week. The CBI has alleged that he was an “active member” of the network involved in leaking and circulating NEET-UG 2026 question papers before the May 3 examination.With his arrest, the number of accused arrested in the case has reached 10.
What the CBI has alleged
In a statement, the CBI said searches conducted at RCC Coaching Institute and Motegaonkar’s residence led to the recovery of a chemistry question bank that allegedly contained “exactly same questions” as those asked in the NEET-UG 2026 examination.The agency said, “Searches conducted at his institute and residence resulted in recovery of Chemistry question bank which contained exactly same questions which appeared in the NEET exam held on 3rd May.”Investigators have also alleged that Motegaonkar was close to P V Kulkarni, a chemistry lecturer associated with the National Testing Agency (NTA).According to the CBI, searches were conducted at five locations in the last 24 hours and investigators seized “several incriminating documents, laptops, and mobile phones”. The agency said forensic analysis of the seized material is underway.The CBI further alleged that leaked chemistry and biology papers were circulated before the examination and that middlemen involved in mobilising students for special coaching sessions had also been arrested.
The video that drew attention
Days before the arrest, a video from an RCC session began circulating online. In the clip, Motegaonkar is seen asking students how many questions from RCC mock tests appeared in the actual NEET paper. Students are heard responding that most of them did.The CBI is now examining 42 chemistry questions circulated by RCC before the exam as “guess questions”, after similarities were allegedly found between those questions and portions of the leaked paper.According to the agency’s grounds of arrest, investigators alleged that Motegaonkar received copies of NEET-UG 2026 question papers and answers before the examination “in conspiracy with other accused persons and public servants associated with the National Testing Agency”.The agency has also alleged that handwritten copies of leaked questions and answers were supplied to several people, including one Vivek Patil.Searches conducted at Motegaonkar’s residence on May 14 allegedly led to the recovery of leaked questions from his mobile phone, which has now been sent for forensic examination.The CBI has further alleged that leaked papers were destroyed after the examination.
Who is Shivraj Motegaonkar?
Motegaonkar comes from a farming family in Maharashtra’s Latur region and studied there before beginning his teaching career in chemistry.According to RCC’s official website, he completed an MSc in Chemistry and started teaching students preparing for board and entrance examinations. Over the years, RCC, formally Renukai Career Centre, expanded into one of Maharashtra’s larger coaching networks for NEET, JEE and CET preparation.The institute now operates centres in Latur, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nanded, Solapur, Kolhapur and Akola. The coaching network claims to enrol around 40,000 students annually.In Maharashtra’s coaching ecosystem, especially in Latur, RCC built its identity around entrance exam preparation and rank-focused training. That is also why the arrest has drawn attention beyond the investigation itself. For many students preparing for medical entrance exams in the state, RCC was not an unfamiliar name.
The case so far
The CBI registered the case on May 12 based on a complaint from the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education regarding the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.The agency said special teams were formed immediately after the FIR was registered and searches were conducted across multiple states. So far, arrests have been made from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, Latur and Ahilyanagar.The accused have been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.The investigation is continuing. The larger question now is whether the probe remains limited to local coaching operators and middlemen, or reaches deeper into the systems that handle the conduct and movement of examination papers.
