Latur: Amid the ongoing investigation into the sensational NEET paper 'leak' case, Maharashtra Police, which has arrested two teachers in connection with the case has questioned parents of 12 students whose hall tickets were found in possession of the accused teachers, sources said on Wednesday. The parents who were lured into paying Rs 5 lakh each by the two accused are likely to be made witnesses in the case after their wards failed to clear the NEET UG 2024 as per the sources.
Sanjay Tukaram Jadhav and Jaleel Umrakhan Pathan posted at Zilla Parishad School in Solapur and another school in Katpur village were arrested in Latur district on Saturday in connection with the case under Sections 3(v), 4, 10 420, 120 of The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024 filed on June 23 at Shivaji Nagar Police Station in Latur city.
Sources said that seven of these parents from Beed district of Maharashtra are teachers whose children are staying in Latur for private coaching classes.
It is learnt that parents Satish Pawar, Devidas Jadhav, Rajesh Pawar and Shamrao Rathod were interrogated at the Latur Superintendent of Police's office for 14 hours in connection with the case. During the interrogation, it surfaced that accused Jalil Pathan used to spy on the parents and demanded up to Rs 5 lakh with the assurance of granting more than 550 marks to the wards in the NEET exam for them to be on the safer side. Pathan used to be assisted by his two more agents from Latur as per police. Police detained both of them and interrogated them. One of them named Shamrao Jadhav used to get Pathan 'customers' on commission. The name of Pathan's second agent has not yet been disclosed by the police.
The parents told police during the investigation that their wards did not get the marks assured by the accused after which they were let off. The parents are likely to be made witnesses in the NEET paper 'leak' case.
It is learnt that accused Jalil Pathan had taken money from 12 parents transferred to his wife's bank account. In the month of June, the police investigation has revealed that transactions of more than Rs 7 lakh were made in the accounts of both the husband and wife. Jalil Pathan lives in a rented house in Ambajogai Road area of Latur. But he has a spacious house worth more than Rs 1 crore in Udgir town of Latur district. Trusted sources have said that since his arrest, his entire family is absconding.
Two other accused Iranna Mashnaji Kongalwar, an ITI instructor, from Dharashiv district and Gangadhar from Delhi are absconding in the case. The CBI took over the investigation in the NEET paper 'leak' case on Monday.
