27 Jun. 24: In Maharashtra’s Latur, the home of Iranna Kongalwar, a key suspect in the NEET-UG paper leak case, lies abandoned with signs of a hasty departure. Kongalwar, a teacher at an institute in Nanded, along with his family, left their residence abruptly, leaving lights and fans on and scooters parked haphazardly outside.
Kongalwar has been named in a complaint by local police, facing charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy. The investigation revealed NEET admit cards and WhatsApp chats linking him to students and a Delhi-based agent who facilitated exam paper leaks. Alongside Kongalwar, two others – Sanjay Tukaram Jadhav and Jalil Umarkhan Pathan – also teachers who ran coaching centers in Latur, have been implicated.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is leading a nationwide probe into the leaks of both NEET-UG and UGC-NET question papers. Multiple arrests have been made, including suspects from Bihar and Rajasthan, where further irregularities in exam scores were uncovered.
The investigation intensified after an unusually high number of students achieved perfect scores in the NEET-UG exam. Initially blamed on logistical issues and grace marks, further scrutiny indicated that the exam papers had been leaked prior to the test.
The government has vowed to protect students’ interests and has implemented stringent laws to combat exam malpractices, including severe penalties for offenders. This case has raised significant concerns about the integrity of competitive examinations in India.
