Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, Jun 6: In the wake of a major controversy triggered by four students from a single centre in Patna topping the Common Entrance Test (CET) for five-year LLB, the Maharashtra government has decided to discontinue CET centres outside the state from next year. The move comes amid growing concerns over possible malpractices, as investigations have also been launched into a separate scam involving touts who manipulated MBA-CET centre preferences for admission into top institutes.

Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, addressing the media on Thursday, confirmed that the issue of the Patna toppers — Vishesh Kumar Pathak, Himanshu Jaiswal, Prakhar Jyoti and Sanskriti Saundarya — would be thoroughly probed. All four had appeared for the LLB CET from the same test centre, Maha Infotech, in Patna — three in the afternoon and one in the morning session on April 28. Notably, all four scored a perfect 100 percentile.

"Given the seriousness of the matter and the previous scam reported in the MBA-CET process, we are taking no chances. CET centres will now be restricted strictly to within Maharashtra," said Minister Patil.

This year, the CET was conducted at 18 centres outside Maharashtra based on regional demand — a provision made only when more than 25 applicants registered from a particular state. Bihar had only one such approved centre.

Officials from the state’s higher education department were reportedly deputed at the Patna venue. However, concerns were raised when all top scorers emerged from the same location despite independent exam sessions. Over 27,000 aspirants had taken the test.

This development comes just months after Mumbai Police’s crime branch arrested three touts in Delhi in connection with an earlier scam during MBA-CET registrations. The accused allegedly demanded ?11–20 lakh from aspirants, promising high percentiles and instructing them to select centres in Bhandara, Gondia, Yavatmal, and Jalna — locations now under scrutiny.

In view of both these incidents, the education ministry has urged students seeking admission into Maharashtra's institutes to prepare to appear for exams from centres within the state, beginning next year.

A high-level inquiry is currently underway to uncover any possible collusion or malpractice behind the unusual scores and centre-specific manipulation.