New Delhi, June 24: A significant update has emerged in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) Undergraduate (UG) 2026 paper leak case. The Rouse Avenue Court has extended the judicial custody of the accused, PV Kulkarni and Shivraj Motegaonkar, until July 8.
The two were presented in court after their previous 14-day judicial custody ended. Following this, the court decided to prolong their custody until July 8.
According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), PV Kulkarni is the mastermind behind the paper leak. He is a retired chemistry professor from Latur and had been part of the panel responsible for preparing NEET question papers for several years. Kulkarni allegedly exploited the National Testing Agency (NTA) process to leak the paper through special coaching classes in Pune.
On the other hand, Shivraj Motegaonkar operates RCC Coaching in Latur. Investigating agencies claim that he received the question paper and its answers about ten days before the exam. It is alleged that he obtained this paper through some individuals associated with the NTA panel, including PV Kulkarni and Manisha Mandare. Subsequently, he reportedly provided the NEET UG paper to coaching institutes and students.
It is noteworthy that the NEET UG 2026 exam, initially scheduled for May 3 at designated centers across the country, was canceled due to the paper leak controversy. The NTA successfully conducted the exam again on June 21 under strict security and extensive monitoring.
The exam took place in a single shift from 2 PM to 5:15 PM in a pen-and-paper (offline) format, with over 2 million students registered to participate.
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