Paromita Das
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 29th June. The revelation of Maharashtra’s connection in the NEET-UG scam has sparked significant controversy and investigation. The scam involved allegations of impersonation and cheating in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for undergraduate medical courses. In a concerning development for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) in 2024, irregularities have surfaced in Maharashtra, expanding beyond previous instances in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Gujarat. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has identified four suspects allegedly involved in compromising the exam’s integrity, with allegations of extortion from aspiring candidates. `Maharashtra came under scrutiny after several individuals were arrested for allegedly using impersonators to write the exam on behalf of actual candidates.
Uncovered a network of brokers and middlemen
Authorities uncovered a network of brokers and middlemen who facilitated this fraud, exploiting loopholes in the examination process. The scandal raised questions about the security and integrity of entrance exams in India, particularly in highly competitive fields like medical education. Investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of the scam and to hold accountable those involved in orchestrating and executing the fraud.
The suspects include three employees of the Maharashtra State Education Department and Gangadhar Munde, currently residing near Gurgaon, Delhi. Among those arrested is Jalil Khan Umar Khan Pathan (34), the principal of a district council school in Katpur village, Latur district, and Sanjay Jadhav (40), a teacher at a district council school in Madha taluka, Solapur district. Both individuals are in police custody until July 2nd as the investigation progresses.
Other suspects
The third suspect, Iranna Kongalwar, a citizen of Maharashtra and worker at the state-run Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Umarga, Osmanabad district, and Munde, a Gurgaon resident, has not yet been taken into custody by the police. Due to his involvement in the Maharashtra NEET-UG scandal, Munde is regarded as a mastermind.
Suspicious actions and evidence: On their phones, Pandan and Jadhav had pictures of NEET-UG hall passes from a minimum of twelve students. They also had many communications that implicated them that were sent to Munde and Kongalwar. Both suspects’ bank passbooks, which revealed significant transactions into Kongalwar and Munde’s bank accounts, were also taken by the investigative team.
The Marathi daily “Divya Marathi” revealed that transactions of more than ₹700,000 were made in Pathan’s wife’s bank account. The report further stated that Pathan had ₹10 million worth of residential property in Udgir city and that his family members had not been seen since the arrests.
The accused’s strategy
According to reports, Pathan specifically targeted students who were prepared to adopt illegal methods to obtain high test scores. In order to raise students’ NEET UG scores, he requested ₹500,000 from them. Following his first payment of ₹50,000, he sent teacher Jadhav pictures of his hall passes. By way of WhatsApp, Jadhav conveyed these communications to Kongalwar, his ITI teacher. Kongalwar transferred them to Munde in Gurgaon, where NEET UG and other admission tests are administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Network of defendants at Latur
Kongalwar, Jadhav, and Pathan were the residents of Latur City. Jadhav was stationed in Takli Temburni hamlet. Locals told Marathi news channel ABP Majha that Jadhav ran private coaching courses in Latur city, possibly in collaboration with Pathan and Kongalwar, and that he rarely attended school.
Latur, a vital coaching hub
A significant coaching hub Located in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, Latur serves as a vital coaching hub for students in the area who want to do well on entrance tests such as the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and NEET UG. The state administration has accused the four suspects of misbehavior on a number of educational admission exams in recent years, according to a report on Saam TV. This has raised questions over the reliability of educational evaluations in the area.
Conclusion
The ATS’s intervention underscores growing concerns over malpractices in NEET, highlighting the need for stringent measures to uphold the exam’s integrity and ensure fairness for all aspirants across the country. This occurrence raises serious questions about the reliability of our educational system and demands that we have immediate conversations about how to stop these anomalies. It is essential that departments work together to create strict policies that guarantee examination fairness and openness. By doing this, we can create a strong educational foundation that protects the future of our country and promotes an atmosphere in which meritocracy flourishes and opportunities are equal for everyone.
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