The 10th arrest in the NEET paper leak case was made on Monday. CBI arrested Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, director of a chemistry coaching institute from Latur, Maharashtra. According to officials, during the CBI search on Sunday, the leaked NEET-UG paper was recovered from Raghunath’s mobile phone. According to CBI, Motegaonkar is part of an organized gang involved in leaking and subsequent dissemination of NEET papers. Along with other accused, he had allegedly obtained the paper and answer key on April 23 itself and distributed it among several people.
The CBI had interrogated Motegaonkar for eight hours at his home on May 15. Motegaonkar has a coaching center named ‘Renukai Chemistry Classes’ (RCC), which runs in seven districts including Latur. On Sunday, CBI raided the head office of RCC and seized several documents and electronic devices. According to reports, the annual turnover of this coaching center is ₹100 crore. CBI suspects that questions from the leaked paper were given to NEET candidates at the centre. Moreover, several doctors from Latur had allegedly purchased the leaked paper. So far, 10 accused have been arrested in the NEET-UG paper leak case; Six of these are residents of Maharashtra.
On Sunday, Rahul Gandhi wrote in a post on ‘ Answer: Why are paper leaks happening again and again? Why are you not dismissing the Education Minister (Dharmendra Pradhan), who is failing again and again? May 17: Appointment of 4 officers in NTA, including an IRS officer
The central government has appointed four officers in the National Testing Agency (NTA) in a major administrative reshuffle. IRS officers Akash Jain and Aditya Rajendra Bhojgarhia have been appointed as Joint Directors. Anuja Bapat and Ruchita Vij have also been appointed as Joint Secretaries within the NTA. The tenure of both these appointed officers will be for five years from the date of assuming charge, or until further orders are issued.
**Mandhare was part of the paper-setting committee of NTA**
CBI claims that Manisha Mandhare was a member of the paper-setting committee of NTA. He was arrested on 14 May. He was already aware of what questions would come in the exam. Before the exam, he conducted special coaching classes in Pune, where he made students write questions on Botany and Zoology.
The investigation also revealed that Mandhare helped NEET aspirants get admission in his coaching institute through a beautician—Manisha Waghmare—who was arrested in Pune. Manisha Mandhare and Manisha Waghmare together extorted lakhs of rupees from students and their parents in exchange for providing leaked examination papers.
Manisha Waghmare further spread this paper to other people in her contact network. Arrest of Manisha Mandhare, Manisha Waghmare and alleged mastermind of paper leak P.V. This was done on the basis of questioning done to Kulkarni. Kulkarni is a chemistry professor from Latur who had served as a member of the panel involved in NEET paper-setting for several years.
According to the agency, during the last week of April, Kulkarni conducted a special class at his residence in which he told students the specific questions, options and answers that were later asked in the actual exam.
**NEET-UG exam held on May 3; Canceled on May 12**
The NEET-UG exam was conducted on May 3 in 551 cities across the country and 14 centers abroad. Around 23 lakh (2.3 million) candidates appeared in this examination. According to NTA, reports regarding irregularities in the examination were received on the evening of May 7. Subsequently, the case was handed over to the central investigating agencies. On May 12, the exam was canceled and it was decided to conduct the exam again.
The different threads of the NEET paper leak conspiracy have now started coming together. In connection with this matter, first of all Chemistry Professor P.V. Kulkarni was arrested, following which Botany lecturer Manisha Mandhare was arrested. Now, reports are emerging that suggest that an official from the National Testing Agency (NTA)—the body responsible for conducting the NEET exam—may also be involved.