Mumbai: The Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested two absconding accused in the bombing outside an ashram in West Bengal Murshidabad district near Borivali railway station. Both the accused had fled from West Bengal to Mumbai after the incident to avoid arrest and were hiding here. According to the Mumbai Crime Branch, the incident took place on May 14 in the Berhampur police station area of ​​West Bengal’s Murshidabad district. The police said that the incident came to light after tension increased in the area after the declaration of the results of the West Bengal Assembly elections. The arrested accused have been identified as Roki Khan (24) and Shahadat Sarkar (35). Roki Khan is a driver by profession, a resident of Kundi Hotel Para, while Shahadat Sarkar is a labourer from village Natunpura. After taking both the accused into custody, Mumbai Police has completed the legal proceedings and obtained a two-day transit remand and started the process of handing them over to the West Bengal Police. The case was registered on the complaint of Pashupati Nath Saha, a grocery shopkeeper in Majirpara Post Office area. Ali Hussain alias Laden, Hassan SK and three unidentified persons have been named as the main accused in the complaint. According to the police, several other accused are still absconding. According to the investigating officers, the dispute began on May 12 when some unidentified persons tore images from an electric pole near the Maa Durga temple located near the ashram. The situation escalated on the night of May 13. According to the police, “At around 10:45 pm, the accused and their accomplices hurled socket bombs in the open field in front of the ashram. The explosions spread panic in the area and created an atmosphere of fear among the locals. The complainant alleged that at around 10:30 am on May 14, some accused arrived outside his shop on motorcycles and threatened that if he reported the matter to the police, he would be bombed again. After the FIR was registered on May 15, the police launched a search operation. Investigation revealed that the accused had left home and fled to West Bengal. Further investigation revealed that both the accused had reached Mumbai by Gitanjali Express. This information was then given to the Mumbai Crime Branch. Based on technical surveillance and intelligence, the CIU team arrested both the accused near Borivali railway station. This operation was carried out by DCP Raj Roshan Tilak and CIU Crime Branch on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti. .

Pune: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, founder of RCC Classes in Maharashtra’s Latur city, in connection with the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case. Officials said a leaked question paper was found on his mobile phone during searches conducted on Sunday.

According to the CBI, Motegaonkar was part of an organised network involved in leaking and circulating the NEET-UG examination paper before the exam held on 3rd May 2026. Investigators alleged that he received both the question paper and answer key in advance and later circulated them to several people.

The arrest came a day after the CBI conducted extensive searches at the main office of Renukai Chemistry Classes (RCC) in Latur’s Shiv Nagar area. Officials said the search operation continued till late evening on Sunday. Earlier, Motegaonkar had also been questioned for nearly eight hours at his residence by the agency.

Sources said the CBI suspects that some doctors from Latur may have purchased the leaked paper. A CBI team has been stationed in the city for the past four days as part of the investigation.

The NEET-UG examination was conducted across 551 cities in India and 14 overseas centres. Nearly 23 lakh students had registered for the medical entrance examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The exam was later cancelled after allegations of malpractice surfaced. According to the NTA, information about suspected irregularities was received on May 7 and was forwarded to central agencies the next day for verification.

The CBI has already arrested several individuals from Maharashtra in the case. Among them is Pune-based biology lecturer Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, who was allegedly part of the NTA’s paper-setting committee.

The CBI investigation into the alleged NEET-UG paper leak is continuing.

Motegaonkar, popularly known as “M Sir” among students, is a prominent name in Maharashtra’s coaching industry. He founded RCC Classes, also known as Renukai Career Centre, in Latur during the late 1990s after starting as a private tutor. Coming from a farming family, he reportedly travelled across the city on a bicycle in his early teaching days and began coaching students from a small rented classroom with around ten students.

Over the years, RCC Classes became one of Maharashtra’s major coaching institutes for NEET, JEE, and CET preparation. The institute grew alongside the rise of the famous “Latur Pattern”, known for producing strong academic results in competitive exams.

RCC now operates centres in multiple cities, including Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nanded, Solapur, Kolhapur, and Latur. Reports suggest nearly 40,000 students enrol in its programmes every year. The coaching institute also has a strong online presence through YouTube, WhatsApp groups, and its own mobile application.

Motegaonkar holds a postgraduate degree in chemistry and is known for simplifying the subject for students from rural and semi-urban areas. However, scrutiny around him increased after investigators began examining his alleged links with retired chemistry professor P. V. Kulkarni, another accused in the paper leak case who had reportedly taught at RCC classes in the past.

Pune: The NEET-UG 2026 paper leak probe has now turned into one of the country’s biggest education scandals, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleging that the operation may have originated from Pune. The investigation bureau claims that this happened through a network involving exam experts, teachers, middlemen, coaching contacts and interstate agents.

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026, which is India’s largest medical entrance exam, was conducted on 3rd May 2026 for over 22 lakh students nationwide.

The latest and most explosive revelation in the case is the alleged role of Pune-based beautician and self-proclaimed educational consultant Manisha Waghmare. Investigators believe that she is a key link connecting students, parents, coaching contacts and insiders with access to the confidential NEET question paper.

According to the CBI, Waghmare allegedly discovered that Pune professor Manisha Gurunath Mandhare was part of the National Testing Agency’s confidential NEET paper-setting ecosystem. Investigators claim Waghmare then approached Mandhare and allegedly helped build a leak network around her access to the examination system.

The probe alleges that Waghmare, using her beauty parlour business and education-related contacts, identified wealthy and desperate NEET aspirants willing to pay huge sums for advance access to exam questions. The CBI told the court that deals worth nearly Rs 10 lakh per student were allegedly struck. The money was reportedly meant to be shared among the accused involved in the operation.

The investigation has revealed what officials describe as a highly organised interstate network stretching from Pune to Nashik, Gurugram and Jaipur. CBI officials allege that confidential Biology questions were accessed through Mandhare, who was allegedly appointed as an NTA subject expert for botany and zoology. Investigators claim she had direct access to the final question papers before the 3rd May NEET-UG 2026 examination.

According to the agency, Mandhare abused her official role and leaked confidential material in exchange for money. The CBI further alleged in court that retired teacher Prahlad Vitthalrao Kulkarni was also brought into the conspiracy. Another accused, Shubham Khairnar from Nashik, allegedly helped circulate the leaked content further through counselling and coaching contacts.

Investigators claim the paper eventually travelled through WhatsApp messages, PDFs and interstate coaching networks. One leaked PDF allegedly reached Gurugram-based accused Yash Yadav before being circulated further in Jaipur. The case first exploded after teachers in Rajasthan reportedly noticed that questions from leaked “guess papers” matched the actual NEET exam held on 3rd May. A whistleblower allegedly alerted authorities after comparing the leaked PDF with the final paper line by line.

Soon after, the National Testing Agency came under massive scrutiny. The centre ordered a nationwide CBI probe, and the entire NEET-UG 2026 examination was cancelled. More than 22 lakh students across India were affected. So far, at least nine arrests have been made from different states, including Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Haryana. Among the biggest names in the investigation is Pune-based Professor Manisha Mandhare, who has emerged as one of the central accused.

According to the CBI, Mandhare has been teaching Biology to class 11 and 12 students for nearly 24 years and has worked at Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce in Shivajinagar since 2020. Due to her academic experience, she was allegedly appointed by the NTA for confidential examination-related work. Investigators claim she conducted private coaching sessions at her Pune residence before the examination. During these sessions, selected students were allegedly asked to note down “important questions” and mark sections in textbooks that later appeared in the actual exam.

The CBI told the court that this was not an isolated leak but part of a much larger organised crime syndicate operating across states. The agency said several more accused are yet to be identified and arrested. During Sunday’s hearing, the CBI sought 14 days of custody for Mandhare, arguing that the investigation is still at a very sensitive and early stage. The court accepted the request.

Mandhare’s lawyers opposed the custody demand and argued that she is a 57-year-old lecturer who has cooperated with investigators and does not require police custody. However, the court sided with the CBI, considering the seriousness of the allegations.

Meanwhile, the Progressive Education Society and the college administration described the arrest as serious, unfortunate and condemnable. College authorities said disciplinary proceedings would be initiated against her as per service rules.

The scandal has also intensified scrutiny of India’s coaching industry and the security of national entrance examinations. Investigators are now examining digital devices, WhatsApp chats, financial transactions, courier records and possible vulnerabilities within the NTA system.

The centre has already announced a re-examination on June 21 and is also considering major reforms, including shifting NEET to a computer-based format from 2027 to reduce the risk of future paper leaks. As the investigation deepens, Pune has emerged as the suspected ground zero of a scandal that has shaken the credibility of India’s medical entrance examination system.