News Desk: The investigation into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak intensified on Monday as a Delhi court sent a key accused to nine days’ custodial interrogation. Simultaneously, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports summoned National Testing Agency (NTA) chairperson Pradeep Kumar Joshi to provide an update on the burgeoning scandal. These developments follow the cancellation of the original examination and the scheduling of a re-examination for June 21.

Judicial remand and the search for co-conspirators

Special CBI Judge Ajay Gupta granted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) nine days of custody for Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, the founder of Renukai Career Centre (RCC). Motegaonkar, who was arrested in Latur on Sunday evening, operates a coaching institute with nine branches, primarily coaching students for the NEET-UG examination.

The court noted that the probe is in its “very initial and crucial stage”. The CBI sought his custody to identify other co-accused and to prevent tampering of evidence. There is concern that Motegaonkar has not yet disclosed the names of everyone who received handwritten copies of the leaked papers. To further the investigation, the accused is expected to be taken to various locations, including Pune and other regions in Maharashtra.

Evidence of early leakage and financial trails

CBI investigations have revealed that Motegaonkar allegedly received the Chemistry questions and answers as early as April 23, 2026—well before the May 3 exam date. Digital evidence appears central to the case; leaked questions were discovered on the accused’s mobile phone. Furthermore, the agency recovered a video from his coaching centre in which he is seen telling students that the questions he provided would appear in the final paper.

The probe has also highlighted a network involving academic professionals. Motegaonkar is reportedly close to P.V. Kulkarni, a Chemistry lecturer associated with the NTA. Kulkarni, along with Biology lecturer Manisha Mandhare, is already in custody. During searches at Motegaonkar’s institute and residence, officials recovered a Chemistry question bank containing questions identical to those on the May 3 exam. The CBI is now tracing the “financial trail” and investigating middlemen who allegedly mobilised students to pay lakhs of rupees for “special coaching” where leaked questions were dictated.

Nationwide crackdown and systemic overhaul

The scale of the alleged conspiracy has led to 10 arrests across Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, Latur, and Ahilyanagar. In the last 24 hours, five locations were searched, resulting in the seizure of laptops, mobile phones, and incriminating documents. The CBI originally registered the case on May 12 following a written complaint from the Department of Higher Education.

In response to the crisis, the Union Education Minister has announced a significant shift in examination policy. To prevent future leaks, NEET-UG will transition to a computer-based test (CBT) mode starting next year. For now, the investigation continues to focus on uncovering the “actual source” of the leaked Chemistry and Biology papers circulated prior to the examination.