The Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test Cell has filed a written complaint with Mumbai’s Azad Maidan police over an alleged audio and video recording in which a woman is purportedly heard promising to accept money, manage an MHT CET examination centre and increase a student’s marks.
The CET Cell said it received a complaint concerning the recordings and approached the police because the conversation appeared, prima facie, to contain assurances of an unfair advantage in the examination process. No conclusion has been reached on the authenticity of the recording or the identity of the people heard in it.
According to the CET Cell, the alleged conversation refers to accepting financial compensation, arranging the conduct of an examination for a particular student and increasing the student’s marks. The authority described the alleged statements as serious and objectionable, saying such claims could raise questions about the transparency, fairness and credibility of the MHT CET examination system.
The police complaint seeks verification of the recording, identification of the people involved and an examination of the background of the conversation. The CET Cell has also requested technical scrutiny, if required, and appropriate legal action under applicable law after the facts are established.
The authority said it had not received any written complaint from an affected student or another person directly connected with the matter at the time of its statement. It nevertheless decided to approach the police because of the seriousness of the claims contained in the video and audio material.
The alleged recordings were also circulated on social media. The CET Cell said it had noticed the spread of incorrect, misleading, incomplete or false information about its functioning through social media and other channels. It has formed a task force to examine such complaints and pursue legal action where necessary.
The task force issued legal notices to two social media platforms in relation to posts linked to the matter, after which both platforms removed the posts, the CET Cell said. The removal of the posts does not by itself establish whether the allegations in the recordings are genuine.
The episode highlights the role of examination authorities in protecting the integrity of computer-based entrance tests and responding to claims that could affect student and parent confidence. For now, the central questions—whether the recording is authentic, who made the alleged statements and whether any examination irregularity occurred—remain with the police investigation.
The CET Cell has asked students and parents to forward complaints about incorrect, misleading, incomplete or false information concerning its work to socialmedia.complaints@mahacet.org. The authority said complaints received through the email address would be examined and acted upon as appropriate.
