A case has been filed against two Maharashtra school teachers for their alleged involvement in the NEET paper leak case. The First Information Report or FIR has been registered in Maharashtra’s Latur.

Sanjay Tukaram Jadhav and Jalil Umarkhan Pathan were picked up by the Nanded Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) yesterday. They used to teach in Zilla Parishad schools and also run private coaching centres in Latur.

Jalil Umarkhan Pathan was taken into custody yesterday after hours-long questioning, while Sanjay Tukaram Jadhav is on the run.

Police have found admit cards and WhatsApp chats of several students on their phones. Both men were in regular contact with a man in the national capital. Delhi-based Gangadhar helped Sanjay Tukaram Jadhav and Jalil Umarkhan Pathan contact aspirants willing to pay a hefty price for guaranteed success.

The FIR registered by the Maharashtra police also names Gangadhar and Iranna Kongalwar – a trainer at a coaching institute in Nanded. The case has been filed on the charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy.

The CBI was handed over the probe into NEET paper leak case on Saturday as the government vowed to protect the interest of the students. It is also probing the UGC-NET irregularities, which include papers being leaked and sold on the dark net.

The government has also operationalised a stringent law that aims to curb malpractices and irregularities in competitive examinations. A maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 1 crore for offenders are some of the tough measures under the law

Bihar Police had earlier arrested four persons who had confessed to having leaked the question papers a night before the NEET UG exam. Cops are now probing the role of ‘solver gangs’ that sell leaked exam papers to students and provide proxy candidates to take tests for candidates.