The arrest of Shivraj Motegaonkar by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has brought one of Maharashtra’s best-known coaching figures into the spotlight in the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case. Per news agency ANI, the CBI sought 10 days' custody of Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar to interrogate him.
Motegaonkar, founder of Latur-based RCC Classes, was arrested on Sunday after being questioned twice within a week. The CBI has described him as an "active member" of the network accused of leaking and circulating NEET-UG 2026 question papers before the May 3 examination, per a report by The Indian Express. He is the 10th person arrested in the case.
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What the CBI alleges
The investigation intensified after a video surfaced online showing Motegaonkar asking students how many questions from RCC mock tests had appeared in the actual NEET paper. Students reportedly replied that most of them had matched.
The agency later searched RCC’s premises in Latur and questioned Motegaonkar in Pune. Investigators are examining 42 chemistry questions circulated earlier as “guess questions” after similarities were allegedly found with portions of the leaked paper.
According to the CBI, Motegaonkar allegedly received question papers and answer sheets before the examination "in conspiracy with other accused persons and public servants associated with the National Testing Agency (NTA)".
Per The Indian Express, investigators also claimed that handwritten copies of leaked questions were shared with several people, including one Vivek Patil, and that leaked papers were later destroyed after the examination.
From bicycle tutor to coaching entrepreneur
Motegaonkar comes from a farming family in Latur and completed an MSc in Chemistry before beginning his teaching career.
In the early years, he reportedly travelled by bicycle to teach students preparing for board and entrance examinations. Around 1999, he started RCC Classes from a rented space in Latur with just 10 students.
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Over time, RCC, formally known as Renukai Career Centre, expanded into one of Maharashtra’s largest coaching networks for NEET, JEE and CET preparation, with centres across multiple cities and nearly 40,000 annual enrolments.
“I was in his 2001 batch. At that time, we were only around 40 students in Latur. Now there are over 15,000 students in Latur itself. He is brilliant and has built the careers of many students,” one former student told The Indian Express.
The investigation is also examining Motegaonkar’s links with retired professor P V Kulkarni, another accused in the case.
