From Paper Leaks To Recruitment Scams: 203 Cases To Be Heard By Maharashtra's Special Courts
From Paper Leaks To Recruitment Scams: 203 Cases To Be Heard By Maharashtra's Special Courts Published By, Last Updated: August 01, 2026, 10:09 IST The
From Paper Leaks To Recruitment Scams: 203 Cases To Be Heard By Maharashtra's Special Courts Published By, Last Updated: August 01, 2026, 10:09 IST The cases have been registered under the 1982 state legislation, the 2024 central law, and provisions of the Indian Penal Code or the BNS, along with the Information Technology Act Rapid Read (File/Representative) Maharashtra has become one of the first states to operationalise special fast-track courts for examination-related offences, identifying 203 pending cases for trial before 23 designated courts, The Indian Express reported. The cases selected for these courts are not limited to offences under the Centre’s Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. Authorities have also included matters registered under the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and Other Specified Examinations Act, 1982, significantly widening the scope of the special courts. According to the report, the identified cases cover a broad spectrum of examination-related offences.
These range from allegations of cheating in Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations to purported irregularities in recruitment tests conducted for government jobs, including positions in the police force and civic bodies. The cases have been registered under the 1982 state legislation, the 2024 central law, and provisions of the Indian Penal Code or the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with the Information Technology Act, The Indian Express reported. On Friday, Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge of the Bombay High Court designated the remaining special courts after two such courts in Aurangabad and Nagpur were notified last week. Presiding officers have been instructed to make every effort to complete trials within three months of chargesheets being filed. Chargesheets have already been submitted in most of the identified cases. The move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement last week that special fast-track courts would be established to deal with examination malpractice cases amid the controversy surrounding the NEET paper leak and the student protests that followed across the country.
Subsequently, the Union Law Ministry directed states to operationalise courts for offences under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. Among the cases earmarked for trial is one dating back to 2002, currently pending before a Mumbai court. The matter pertains to alleged corruption and irregularities in Maharashtra Public Service Commission examinations conducted for posts including police sub-inspector. Aurangabad has emerged as the district with the highest number of identified cases, at 46. It is followed by Thane with 22 cases, Pune with 18, Jalgaon with 15, Mumbai with 12, and Nagpur and Parbhani with 11 cases each. Most of the matters involve allegations of cheating through various means, including the use of electronic devices during examinations. Several districts have not been assigned special courts because no cases under the relevant laws are currently pending there. These include Latur, a major coaching hub for entrance examinations, as well as Amravati, Nanded, Raigad, Akola and Buldhana.
The BriefWire