Maharashtra: NEET-UG paper leak case reaches state

After Bihar the NEETUG paper leak case has reached Maharashtra The Maharashtra ATS has questioned two Zilla Parishad teachers in Latur based on inputs received from sister agencies The Central Bureau of Investigation CBI is currently probing the paper leak case across IndiaATS sources confirmed to midday that the two teachers were questioned for several hours and then allowed to leave As of now no clean chit has been given to them The agency however refused to divulge more information pertaining to these two teachers Sources have told midday that the Latur police are in the process of registering the FIR based on the information received from the Maharashtra ATS to probe the matter furtherA Congress worker during a protest PicPTIAccording to sources the two teachers questioned by the ATS in connection with the paper leak case have been identified as Sanjay Jadhav and Jalil Pathan Both are employed at a Zila Parishad school run by the state government and also operate coaching classes in Latur ldquoBased on information received from sister agencies the two teachers were questioned for several hours and then allowed to leave We are inquiring into the matter and will share details at the right time As of now the teachers have not been given a clean chit Our teams are clarifying certain aspects related to the paper leak and we suspect both have some role to playrdquo said an ATS officer on the condition of anonymityThe officials also said that as of now they have not registered any case but are conducting an inquiry based on the inputs they have received from the sister agencies Earlier the Patna police arrested four people in connection with the paper leak The said gang also provides dummy candidates to appear in the examsHowever Jalil Pathan has claimed that this appears to be a case of mistaken identity ldquoThe ATS officials came to my residence and took me to the SP office where I was questioned They checked my phone and later respectfully dropped me back at my house Later I realised the case I feel that this is a case of mistaken identity The media spread fake news of me being arrested which is traumatisingrdquo Pathan said while speaking to the press in LaturOn Saturday after massive protests and questions raised by Opposition leaders the central government shunted NTA Director General Subodh Singh and handed over the paper leak case and irregularities in exams to the CBI The Union Education Minister also set up a sevenmember team to review the agencyrsquos functioning and recommend exam reforms in the future The panel will be headed by former ISRO chief K RadhakrishnanOn Sunday the CBI in a statement said that they have registered an FIR in the paper leak case ldquoThe CBI has registered a criminal case based on a written complaint from the director of the Department of Higher Education Ministry of Educationrdquo the CBI said in a statementThe allegations in the FIR state that the NEET UG 2024 Examination was conducted by the NTA on May 5 at 4750 centres in 571 cities including 14 cities abroad with over 23 lakh candidates appearing for the examination The complaint further alleges that certain isolated incidents occurred in a few states during the examinationldquoTherefore the Ministry of Education has requested the CBI to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the entire gamut of alleged irregularities including conspiracy cheating impersonation breach of trust and destruction of evidence by candidates institutes and middlemen Special teams have been formed by the CBI to investigate the matter on top priority Special CBI teams are being sent to Patna and Godhra where local police cases have been registeredrdquo the statement readsThe Latur police have registered an FIR in connection with the NEETUG paper leak case against four people including three teachers from Latur and one person from outside the stateOfficials have confirmed that the Maharashtra ATS is the complainant in the case The two suspect teachers questioned by the ATS on Saturday night have also been named as accused in the caseThe FIR has been registered under sections 420 and 120b of the IPC and the relevant sections of the Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Act