NEW DELHI — Chemistry questions recovered from the mobile phone of Shivraj Motegaonkar, founder of the Latur-based RCC Classes in Maharashtra, matched all 45 questions in an official master test booklet prepared for the medical entrance examination, according to a supplementary chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case. The findings, based on an expert evaluation conducted by Delhi University faculty, indicate that digital material retrieved from the arrested coaching operator corresponded directly with the examination papers formulated by the National Testing Agency. Investigators are examining recovered digital files, payment messages, mock test papers, and witness statements to determine how confidential test materials were accessed and disseminated prior to the national examination.
Chemistry Questions Matched Administrative Master Booklets
According to records provided by the National Testing Agency to the CBI, four master sets of question papers containing 180 questions each across Physics, Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology were created for the examination. Two of these sets, codenamed Kailash and Shivalik, were designated as administrative sets meant for printing and distribution to designated test centres, while the remaining two were non-administrative versions not intended for routine examination deployment.
A forensic comparison of the material recovered from Motegaonkar’s phone against these master papers revealed significant overlaps. All 45 Chemistry questions in the Shivalik master test booklet matched the document recovered from the device, while 43 out of 45 questions in the Kailash set were identical. In master set 2, 40 questions corresponded with the retrieved material. In contrast, only one question from master set 3 matched the phone records, with investigators noting that Motegaonkar’s associate, arrested teacher P. V. Kulkarni, did not have access to that set because it had not undergone back-translation.
Coaching Mock Tests Contained Identical Test Questions
The CBI submitted mock test papers seized from students enrolled at RCC Classes to academic experts at Delhi University to determine whether confidential questions had been provided to candidates prior to the test. The analysis established that an institute mock test conducted on April 19 included 15 questions that matched the Kailash master set. A subsequent mock test administered on April 30 contained six questions matching the Shivalik set and five questions from master set 2.
Investigators also examined 12 image files recovered from Kulkarni’s phone dating between April 11 and April 29. Academic experts confirmed that 13 Chemistry questions extracted from those images corresponded to questions distributed across the four official Chemistry master booklets prepared by the testing agency.
Investigation Traces Distribution and Charges 13 Accused
Witness statements detailed that question papers in PDF format attributed to Motegaonkar were circulated through messaging platforms including WhatsApp, Telegram, and AirDrop around May 1. Statements in the supplementary chargesheet describe an alleged advance payment of ₹5,000 made to arrested accused Vikas Biwal, followed by the transmission of digital documents containing hundreds of questions.
The CBI previously named 13 individuals in its initial chargesheet submitted before a Delhi fast-track court on July 28, including NTA Biology expert Manisha Mandhare, Chemistry expert Pralhad Vithalrao Kulkarni, and Physics expert Manisha Sanjay Havaldar. The agency later filed a supplementary chargesheet adding another accused alongside forensic reports. While the question matching forms central evidence in the probe, the court will determine final criminal liability as judicial proceedings progress.
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