From Part-Time Tutor to ₹1,500 Crore Empire: Latur Coaching Chief in Spotlight as NEET Leak Widened

Investigators uncover alleged links between Maharashtra institute and national exam paper breach

Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar's rise from a part-time classroom instructor to head of one of Maharashtra's largest NEET coaching networks has taken a sharp turn. The CBI custody of the Renukai Career Center (RCC) director marks a critical turning point in the expanding investigation into how the NEET question paper allegedly reached coaching institutes before the national examination.

Motegaonkar was produced before a Delhi court on Tuesday and remanded to nine days of CBI custody. Investigators have reportedly established that last year's NEET paper may have circulated through the coaching network in Latur, a concerning development that has widened the scope of the inquiry beyond isolated incidents.

The Coaching Network's Growth

What began as a modest operation—just ten students studying from a small shop around 1999-2000—has evolved into a sprawling educational enterprise. RCC now operates across eight districts in Maharashtra: Latur, Nanded, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Pune, Akola, Nashik and Solapur. Over 40,000 students are reportedly enrolled across the network's branches.

Local estimates place the institute's total assets at approximately ₹1,500 crore, a figure that reflects the significant resources the coaching centre has accumulated over two decades.

Questionable Results at AIIMS Institutes

A closer examination of RCC's NEET 2025 performance data has raised eyebrows among investigating officers. The coaching centre's students secured 19 admissions to various AIIMS institutions across the country—a notably strong showing.

The distribution included two seats at AIIMS Delhi, five at AIIMS Hyderabad, and three each at AIIMS Bhopal and AIIMS Varanasi. Additional students reportedly cleared the cutoff for AIIMS Nagpur, Deoghar, Gorakhpur, Rajkot, Raipur and Mangalagiri. While such results are not unusual for major coaching networks, the timing and context have drawn scrutiny.

Investigators are now examining whether these candidates were provided access to leaked papers through what the institute marketed as "one-on-one mentoring" programmes.

The Wider Investigation Deepens

CBI officials have begun scrutinising RCC's internal communications, financial transactions and student databases. The focus extends beyond individual malpractice to examine potential systemic links between the coaching network and those involved in the paper leak.

Sources familiar with the investigation indicated that authorities are particularly interested in tracing how examination materials might have moved between alleged leak operatives and coaching staff. Communication records and mentoring session details are expected to form key evidence.

"The investigation is no longer confined to isolated individuals," said an official requesting anonymity. "We're looking at whether there was an organized arrangement to provide exam papers to coaching institutes in exchange for financial consideration."

NEET Cancellation and Aftermath

The renewed focus on coaching networks comes months after the NEET-UG examination was cancelled on May 12 following widespread irregularities reports. The exam had been conducted on May 3 across 551 examination centres in India and 14 international locations, with approximately 23 lakh candidates appearing.

Complaints regarding examination misconduct surfaced on May 7 evening. The National Testing Agency handed over the matter to central investigating agencies, leading to the exam cancellation decision. A fresh examination was subsequently scheduled.

From Teacher to Accused

Motegaonkar's journey reflects a common pattern in India's coaching sector—driven growth without corresponding regulatory oversight. Starting as a teacher working irregular hours, he identified a market gap and scaled operations rapidly. The expansion, however, appears to have coincided with practices that authorities now believe crossed ethical and legal boundaries.

The case has implications beyond one coaching centre. It underscores vulnerabilities in how educational networks operate and the pressure they face to deliver results in a fiercely competitive market. Whether individual ambition or systemic failure—or both—is responsible remains to be determined as investigations continue.

What Lies Ahead

The CBI's nine-day custody window is expected to yield crucial information about the alleged paper leak network's structure. Authorities are particularly focused on identifying other individuals and institutions potentially involved.

The expansion of the NEET leak investigation into coaching networks signals that regulators and investigators view this not as an isolated breach but as part of a larger ecosystem of examination malpractice. The findings could lead to stricter oversight of coaching institutes and potential regulatory reforms in the sector.

For now, Motegaonkar remains at the centre of one of India's most significant examination integrity cases. His rise from a part-time instructor to running a ₹1,500 crore operation may ultimately be overshadowed by the role his institute allegedly played in compromising a national examination.