NEET-UG 2026 leak probe: CBI links 111 recovered questions to official paper

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has told a special court that forensic examination of a mobile phone seized from a Maharashtra-based coaching institute owner has uncovered fresh evidence pointing to a pre-examination leak of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2026 question paper. According to the agency, investigators recovered 36 images from the phone of Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, the owner of a coaching institute in Maharashtra’s Latur district.

The images allegedly contained 132 handwritten Chemistry questions, of which 111 were found to match questions included in the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) master sets prepared for the NEET-UG 2026 examination. The CBI disclosed the findings while opposing Motegaonkar’s bail application before the court, arguing that the recovered material forms a crucial part of the evidence in what has emerged as one of India’s most significant examination fraud investigations.

Investigators further stated that metadata extracted from the seized phone indicates the photographs were taken around 10 days before the examination conducted on May 3, strengthening the agency’s contention that the questions were accessed well before candidates entered examination halls.

The agency has alleged that Motegaonkar paid ₹5 lakh to procure leaked Chemistry questions from PV Kulkarni, who was associated with the NTA’s question-setting process. According to the CBI, Motegaonkar’s son attended Kulkarni’s coaching classes, where the questions were allegedly circulated in advance. The agency also claimed that the handwritten notes recovered from the phone were prepared by Motegaonkar after obtaining the leaked material.

The investigation has also traced an alleged financial trail. The CBI informed the court that the money allegedly paid to obtain the leaked questions was recovered during the investigation at the instance of another accused, Dr Manoj Bhagwanrao Shirure.

The latest revelations add weight to the CBI’s case that the leak originated from within the examination preparation process rather than through post-examination breaches. Earlier in the investigation, the agency had alleged that individuals connected with the question-setting mechanism and coaching networks conspired to circulate confidential material before the examination in exchange for money.

The NEET-UG 2026 examination, held on May 3 for admission to undergraduate medical courses across India, was cancelled by the NTA on May 12 following widespread allegations that portions of the paper had been leaked before the test. A fresh examination was subsequently conducted on June 21 for affected candidates.

The controversy first drew attention after students and parents alleged that a “guess paper” circulated by a coaching institute in Latur bore an extraordinary resemblance to the actual Chemistry section of the examination. Those claims prompted investigations by state authorities before the probe was transferred to the CBI, which has since expanded its inquiry across multiple states.

So far, the CBI has arrested 13 people in connection with the case, including coaching institute operators, teachers and intermediaries allegedly involved in the procurement and distribution of leaked examination material. All the accused are currently in judicial custody as the investigation continues.

The case has renewed scrutiny of the country’s high-stakes entrance examination system, with investigators examining whether weaknesses in paper-setting, handling and distribution protocols enabled confidential material to be accessed before the examination.