NEET UG Paper Leak Suspect Withdraws Bail Plea Amidst Controversy

Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, accused in a NEET UG paper leak, withdrew his bail plea. CBI alleges involvement in the conspiracy to leak exam papers for personal gain. The court dismissed the plea and allowed withdrawal with liberty to reapply. Investigation reveals leaked paper distributed to students.

In a significant development in the NEET UG paper leak case, prime accused Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar withdrew his bail plea on Thursday, prompting the court to dismiss it as withdrawn. Allegations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) suggest that Motegaonkar played a pivotal role in the conspiracy to leak the chemistry exam paper for the upcoming NEET UG Exam slated for 2026.

The case was marked for arguments before Special CBI Judge Ajay Gupta, where Motegaonkar's counsel opted to retract the bail application. It was conveyed that Motegaonkar is not inclined to pursue the present plea and might consider submitting a fresh application in the future, which the court accepted.

While resisting the bail plea, CBI highlighted that Motegaonkar, a Latur coaching institute owner, allegedly paid Rs. 5 lakh to Prahalad Kulkarni to access the leaked paper. Motegaonkar is accused of distributing these papers among students, having received the chemistry questions prior to the exam date. Evidence, including a video, supports these claims, showing Motegaonkar affirming the questions' authenticity to students.