Rohit Pawar Alleges Rs 2,300 Crore Maharashtra CET Scam, Seeks Judicial Probe

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar alleged at a press conference in Mumbai on Tuesday, 3 November, that contracts worth Rs 2,300 crore linked to a private firm, EduSpark, were won through rigged tendering, and that the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) was manipulated to influence engineering admissions. He demanded a judicial inquiry and the resignations of Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil and CET Commissioner Dileep Sardesai. These are Pawar’s allegations; none has been proved.

A Sting Video and a Rs 25 Lakh Claim

Pawar spoke at the YB Chavan Centre with teachers including Narayan Shingare and Vivek Dhoke. A sting operation was shown in which a manager at Expertise Education Pvt Ltd in Pune allegedly described how exam irregularities were carried out, Deccan Chronicle reported. Shingare claimed that Rs 25 lakh was being demanded for an engineering seat through CET manipulation. Pawar also alleged that percentiles were manipulated, pointing to COEP Pune and VJTI Mumbai, and spoke of a data leak.

Pawar said the CET cell is a government department, not an autonomous body, so the state is directly accountable. IANS reported that sources in Patil’s office said the complainant should submit all evidence to the competent investigating agencies and that an impartial probe would follow. No formal statement from the state government was reported.

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Demand for an Abhay Oak Inquiry

Pawar asked for an inquiry under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, headed by former Supreme Court judge Abhay Oak, along with a forensic audit of results and the tendering process. He also wants the CET held offline on OMR sheets from this year, and state protection for the teachers who ran the sting. He said whistleblowers had given documents to the Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissionerate but no FIR had been registered, and questioned the progress of the Special Investigation Team the state had formed on CET irregularities.

Ten Days to Act

Pawar warned that the opposition would take the issue to the streets across the state if the government does not act within 10 days. He said he would name an associate of the minister on social media soon. The government has not announced a judicial inquiry, and the status of the SIT’s findings is not public.

For other opposition campaigns this week, see the six charges the INDIA bloc framed against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the Daily Updates page.

Source: Based on reporting by Deccan Chronicle and IANS via Punjab Kesari.

Image: IANS.