NEET paper leak: Demolish buildings of accused coaching centre owners, says Maharashtra minister

Maharashtra minister Sanjay Shirsat has demanded the demolition of buildings owned by those involved in the NEET paper leak case, calling for a crackdown on their wealth.

Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat on Tuesday said that the buildings owned by those involved in the NEET paper leak case should be demolished.

The CBI has arrested Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, who ran Renukai Chemistry Classes (RCC) in Latur, for his alleged involvement in the NEET-UG paper leak.

So far, 10 accused have been arrested in this case from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nasik, Pune, Latur and Ahilyanagar, as per officials.

Speaking to reporters, Shirsat pointed to properties and huge advertisements put up by NEET coaching classes.

''Even the biggest politician cannot afford so many advertisements. But if we go to a small village, we can find advertisements for coaching classes. This money comes from the fees of students. So, merely arresting the accused in the NEET case is not enough now. The wealth of these people should be checked and seized,'' he said.

''The buildings owned by these arrested people should be demolished,'' the minister added.

Asked about the Opposition's demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, he said it is an internal matter of the government.

''Action against the accused in more important. The NEET paper leak is not a small case, and it is a matter of the future of 22 lakh students. Such cases should not happen henceforth. Taking resignation or not is a matter for the government and the party,'' he added.

The CBI had earlier arrested a chemistry lecturer, P V Kulkarni, and a biology lecturer, Manisha Mandhare, both known to each other through a woman, Manisha Waghmare, who is also in the agency's custody.

The two lecturers had allegedly roped in Waghmare to bring in NEET aspirants for special sessions before the examination.

Students allegedly paid several lakh rupees to attend the sessions, where they wrote the questions down in their notebooks that later ''tallied exactly'' with the actual NEET-UG paper, the officials said.

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), conducted across 551 Indian cities and at 14 overseas centres on May 3, was cancelled after information regarding alleged malpractice was received on the evening of May 7. Nearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the test.

A retest is scheduled for June 21.