Maharashtra Police have arrested four individuals, including teachers, for their alleged involvement in a NEET exam question paper leak scandal.
Maharashtra Police have apprehended four individuals, including two teachers, about an alleged question paper leak during the NEET undergraduate medical entrance exam. Sanjay Tukaram Jadhav and Jalil Umarkhan Pathan, both teachers from Latur, were initially detained by the Nanded Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on suspicion of their involvement. They were released briefly but later re-arrested along with Iranna Mashnaji Kongalwar from Dharashiv district and Gangadhar, a resident of Delhi.
Under provisions of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, a formal complaint has been filed against all four of them. The accusations suggest they operated a scheme where exam information was sold to students for monetary gain.
Authorities acted on information indicating Jadhav and Pathan's complicity and conducted raids at their homes, seizing incriminating evidence from their phones, including messages related to exam hall tickets and financial transactions.
Investigations indicate Jadhav may have transmitted hall ticket details to Kongalwar, who then forwarded them to Gangadhar in Delhi, believed to be the mastermind behind the leak.
To delve deeper into the matter, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Latur has been formed.
The NEET-UG exam has been marred by student protests over alleged question paper leaks and the initial awarding of grace marks to 1,500 students, a decision later revoked with affected students offered a re-test.
Amid escalating concerns, the CBI has taken over the investigation, filing an FIR based on a reference from the Union education ministry regarding suspected irregularities in NEET-UG. Special teams have been dispatched to Gujarat and Bihar, where similar cases of question paper leaks have surfaced and police investigations are underway.
Last Updated Jul 14, 2024, 11:51 AM IST