MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday announced the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged MH CET engineering admission scam.
Fadnavis said the SIT would investigate all complaints related to the alleged scam and conduct a forensic audit.
The decision came after coaching centre owners and experts met Fadnavis and made a PowerPoint presentation on the alleged irregularities. They presented case studies based on data shared by the MH CET authorities.
Fadnavis also said Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) examinations would be conducted offline. He said any decision on the examination method would be taken after consultations with stakeholders, including students.
The alleged engineering admission scam came to light after claims that students were being helped to secure 99 to 100 percentile in the MH CET through managed examination centres by paying up to Rs 15 lakh for admission to top government engineering colleges.
The MH CET merit list showed students who had scored below 60 per cent in their Class 10 and 12 board examinations securing 99 to 100 percentile in the entrance examination. Coaching class teachers said such results raised concerns about the examination process.
They alleged that the pattern was not limited to isolated cases and that managed examination centres had been used for several years to help candidates secure high percentiles.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal demanded the resignation of Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, holding him responsible for the alleged scam.
BJP leader Ashish Neralkar's twin children, Arush Ashish Neralkar and Avni Ashish Neralkar, secured All India ranks 37 and 38 in the MH CET merit list with 99.99 and 99.98 percentile, respectively. They had scored 56.67 per cent and 51.67 per cent, respectively, in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics in their Class 12 board examinations.