New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday sent Renukai Career Centre founder Shivraj Raghunath to nine days’ CBI custody in the NEET paper leak case, noting that the probe was at an initial stage.
Special CBI Judge Ajay Gupta allowed nine days of custodial interrogation of the accused after the federal agency sought 10 days of custody.
The judge noted the agency’s submissions, including that Motegaonkar had not disclosed the names of all people to whom he had supplied the handwritten copies of the leaked NEET UG Exam 2026 question papers.
He said, “The custody of accused Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar has been sought in order to identify and apprehend the other co-accused persons involved in the offence and also to recover and analyse the digital devices/ digital evidences and communication records as well as the financial trail connected to the NEET 2026 examination and paper leak network.”
Judge Gupta said his custody had also been sought to prevent further tampering with evidence and to unearth the larger conspiracy regarding the present case, and for this purpose, the accused was also required to be taken to other parts of the country, including Pune and other places in Maharashtra.
“The investigation is at its very initial and crucial stage; therefore, keeping in view of all the detailed facts and circumstances and the prayer made in the present application (for police custody remand), the present application is allowed and accused Shivraj Raghunath Motegoankar is remanded to police custody for nine days, subject to his medical examination,” the judge said.
In its remand application, the CBI said, “Shivraj Raghunath Motegoankar is involved in the leakage and circulation of NEET UG exam questions-2026 and that, in conspiracy with other accused persons, he had received the chemistry questions and answers of the exam before the examination, i.e., on April 23, 2026.”
The remand paper said that the leaked questions were found in the accused person’s mobile phone.
It said, “Shivraj Raghunath Motegoankar, in criminal conspiracy with other accused persons, provided copies of the leaked question papers and answer sheets to several persons, investigation regarding which is going on.”
“He runs a coaching institute by the name RCC, and there is apprehension that the questions may have leaked from him to a large number of candidates. His links with co-accused Prahlad Kulkarni are also under investigation,” the remand application said.
It said a video was also recovered where the accused was seen in his coaching centre saying the questions he gave to students had appeared in the final question paper.
Motegaonkar was arrested on Sunday evening in Latur. The agency had earlier arrested a chemistry lecturer, P V Kulkarni; and a biology lecturer, Manisha Mandhare, both known to each other through a woman, Manisha Waghmare, who is also in CBI custody.
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