NEET Paper Leak: CBI Alleges Rs 5 Lakh Bribe Paid for Chemistry Questions Before Exam

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has claimed before a special court that a coaching centre owner from Maharashtra's Latur allegedly paid Rs 5 lakh to obtain leaked NEET-UG 2026 chemistry questions before the examination.

The allegations were made in the agency's response opposing the bail plea of accused Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, with the CBI stating that the leaked questions formed part of a larger conspiracy involving multiple accused.

CBI Alleges Rs 5 Lakh Was Paid for Leaked Questions

According to the CBI, Motegaonkar allegedly procured chemistry questions before the May 3 NEET examination after paying Rs 5 lakh.

The agency alleged that the questions were sourced from PV Kulkarni, who was part of the National Testing Agency (NTA) panel responsible for setting the NEET-UG 2026 question paper.

The CBI also claimed that Motegaonkar's son attended Kulkarni's coaching classes, where the questions were allegedly shared.

The agency has accused Motegaonkar of preparing handwritten notes based on the leaked chemistry questions before the examination.

CBI Claims 111 Questions Matched Official Paper

One of the prosecution's key claims relates to evidence recovered from the accused's mobile phone.

According to the CBI:

• The phone contained 36 images, including five duplicate photographs.
• The images featured 132 handwritten chemistry questions.
• 111 questions allegedly matched the National Testing Agency's official master question sets for NEET-UG 2026.

The agency told the court that the handwritten notes were allegedly prepared by Motegaonkar himself.

Metadata Points to Questions Being Accessed Before Exam

The CBI further stated that forensic metadata analysis of the recovered images showed they were created approximately 10 days before the NEET-UG examination held on May 3, 2026.

According to the agency, this strengthens its allegation that the questions were accessed before the examination.

The CBI also claimed that the money allegedly paid for obtaining the leaked questions was recovered during the investigation at the instance of another accused, Manoj Bhagwanrao Shirure.

Bail Opposed by Investigation Agency

The allegations were presented while the CBI opposed Motegaonkar's bail application.

The agency argued that the recovered evidence, including handwritten notes and digital material, points to his alleged involvement in the conspiracy.

The court is yet to decide on the bail plea.

NEET-UG Examination Was Cancelled

Following widespread allegations of a paper leak, the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination on May 12.

The entrance test had originally been conducted on May 3, while a re-examination was later held on June 21.

According to the CBI, 13 accused have been arrested so far in connection with the alleged paper leak, and all remain in judicial custody.

The investigation into the case is continuing.

Key Highlights

• The CBI alleged a Latur coaching centre owner paid Rs 5 lakh for leaked NEET chemistry questions.
• The agency claims 111 handwritten questions matched the official NEET-UG 2026 paper.
• Images recovered from the accused's phone were allegedly created about 10 days before the examination.
• The allegations were made while opposing the accused's bail application.
• Thirteen people have been arrested so far in the NEET paper leak investigation.

FAQs

What has the CBI alleged in the NEET paper leak case?

The CBI has alleged that a coaching centre owner from Latur paid Rs 5 lakh to obtain leaked chemistry questions before the NEET-UG 2026 examination.

How many questions allegedly matched the official paper?

According to the CBI, 111 out of 132 handwritten chemistry questions recovered from the accused's phone matched the National Testing Agency's master question sets.

Who allegedly supplied the leaked questions?

The agency has alleged that the questions were sourced from PV Kulkarni, who was part of the NTA panel involved in setting the examination paper. These are allegations made by the CBI before the court.

Why was NEET-UG 2026 cancelled?

The National Testing Agency cancelled the examination after allegations of a paper leak surfaced. A fresh examination was conducted on June 21.

How many people have been arrested?

The CBI has stated that 13 accused have been arrested in the case and are currently in judicial custody.