NEET leak probe: Coaching class founder’s phone had all Chemistry questions

Investigators recovered Chemistry-question material from Shivraj Motegaonkar’s phone, the founder of Latur-based RCC Classes. The material was compared with NEET-UG 2026’s four Chemistry master sets. The comparison mattered because extensive matching could show that exam-related content circulated before the test.

The strongest match involved master test booklet M, Shivalik. All 45 of its Chemistry questions matched the recovered document. The document also matched 43 of 45 questions in administrative set Kailash and 40 of 45 in master set 2. Only one question matched master set 3.

The CBI obtained expert opinion from Delhi University on these comparisons. It also recorded that arrested teacher P V Kulkarni lacked access to master set 3 because that set had not undergone back-translation. These findings formed part of the supplementary chargesheet filed in the case.

A master question set is a full version of the NEET paper prepared for examination use or administration. According to the article, each set contains 180 questions. These are divided equally among Physics, Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology, so each subject contributes 45 questions.

For NEET-UG 2026, the four sets had codenames. Kailash and Shivalik were administrative sets. They were printed in required quantities and distributed at examination centres. The other two were non-administrative sets and were not meant for ordinary distribution.

The article does not state the broader reason for creating multiple sets. It does establish that the system separates sets intended for centre distribution from sets not ordinarily distributed. That structure made comparisons possible after investigators recovered alleged leaked Chemistry material and checked it against every master set.

The Chemistry section contained 45 questions in every NEET master set because the full paper had 180 questions divided equally among four subjects. This equal division gave investigators a clear basis for comparing the recovered Chemistry document with each version.

The strongest result involved master test booklet M, Shivalik. All 45 of its Chemistry questions matched the document recovered from Shivraj Motegaonkar’s phone. The document also matched 43 of 45 questions in master set Kailash and 40 of 45 questions in master set 2. Only one question matched master set 3.

These figures came from the CBI’s comparison, supported by expert opinion from Delhi University. The article presents the matching as a central part of the supplementary chargesheet, alongside evidence about messages, files, witness statements, handwritten notes, and payments.

The supplementary chargesheet names 13 accused. They include Shivraj Motegaonkar, founder of Latur-based RCC Classes, and arrested teacher P V Kulkarni, identified as Motegaonkar’s associate. The chargesheet also names NTA experts Manisha Mandhare, Pralhad Vithalrao Kulkarni, and Manisha Sanjay Havaldar.

The article links Motegaonkar to Chemistry-question material recovered from his phone. It identifies P V Kulkarni as an arrested teacher and says he did not have access to master set 3. The three named NTA experts were respectively associated with Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

The NTA supplied information about the four master sets and their distribution. The CBI gathered phone files, statements, notes, messages, and payment-related material, then filed the supplementary chargesheet. Vikas Biwal of Jaipur was another arrested accused connected to advance-payment and PDF-circulation accounts.

The CBI’s account describes alleged exam-related material being circulated before the test through WhatsApp, Telegram, and AirDrop. A witness reportedly said a Chemistry PDF attributed to Motegaonkar was received and circulated through WhatsApp. The timing and route mattered because the investigation concerned material allegedly reaching people before the examination.

Investigators examined recovered files, witness statements, handwritten notes, and messages linked to payments. The chargesheet also records an advance payment of Rs 5,000 to arrested accused Vikas Biwal of Jaipur. After that payment, PDFs containing hundreds of questions were reportedly received and forwarded through Telegram, WhatsApp, and AirDrop around May 1.

Together, these sources could help investigators connect people, documents, dates, and transactions. They also supported the comparison between recovered Chemistry questions and the four master sets. The article presents this evidence as part of the CBI’s supplementary chargesheet, not as a final court finding.

A confirmed question-paper leak can harm students who prepared honestly because others may receive exam content early. It can also weaken confidence in scores, rankings, admissions, and the organisation conducting the test. These are general consequences of compromising a high-stakes examination; the article itself reports allegations and investigation findings, not a confirmed final judgment.

In this case, the CBI reported major matches between recovered Chemistry material and NEET master sets, including all 45 Shivalik questions. It also traced alleged circulation through messaging platforms and examined payment evidence. Those facts explain why the credibility question is serious.

The article does not state whether results were cancelled, revised, or followed by a retest. In general, authorities would need to assess the scope of affected students, the evidence, and legal requirements before deciding whether results stand, are adjusted, or an examination is repeated. Any such decision would be official, not automatic.

High-stakes exams normally limit access to questions at every stage. Subject experts create and review items, officials assemble multiple versions, and authorised teams control files, printing, packaging, transport, and centre delivery. Access logs, confidentiality rules, secure storage, and monitored handoffs are common safeguards. The article does not describe all these controls.

It does describe NEET-UG 2026’s four master sets. Each had 180 questions, divided equally among four subjects. Kailash and Shivalik were administrative sets, printed in required quantities and distributed to centres. Two other sets were non-administrative and not intended for ordinary distribution.

The alleged leak shows why each handoff matters. The CBI examined files, messages, notes, statements, and payments, then compared recovered questions with the master sets. Strong systems also require rapid investigation, evidence preservation, and transparent decisions if confidentiality is questioned. These broader safeguards are established exam-security practice, not details supplied by this article.