The examiners, Dr Gopal Naghate, of the Department of Physiology, Government Medical College, Aurangabad, and Dr Haridas Chimane, of the Guru Govindsing Government Medical College at Nanded, have been booked under Sections 6 and 8 of the Prevention of Malpratices at University and Other Examination Act, and Section 468 (forgery) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. They have been remanded to police custody till Thursday.

Police Inspector Ramesh Kantewar of the Shivaji Nagar Police Station at Latur, who conducted the raid at hotel Panchawati, where the two examiners were put up, told Express Newsline that Chimane and Naghate had accepted Rs 1,500 and Rs 1,000 respectively from the students.

The two examiners were appointed by theSwami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University on its panel to examine first year MBBS students at their physiology examination (practicals) at the Latur college.

Police said that since the examiners began their work on December 11, they had spread the word that students who wish to clear the examination should deposit Rs 3,000 each with the examiners, in person, at the hotel. The examinations were held between December 11 and 15. As word spread, students began to frantically collect money from various sources. Some even sold valuables in their possession, police said.

When students belonging to Chatrabharti got wind of the happenings, they along with some others approached the police to catch the examiners red-handed.

Police Inspector Kantewar, who had arrested a professor, Dr Geeta Gosawi of the SRT Government Medical College at Ambejogai under similar circumstances last year, went ot the hotel with the students and later arrested the two examiners while they were accepting the bribe.

Kantewar toldExpress Newsline that police are trying to ascertain whether the examiners had a local agent acting as a middleman at Latur. ``It could not have happened without some local help,'' the inspector said.

Registrar of the SRT Marthawada University at Nanded, T R Sontakke, said he had received several telephone calls from the principal of the Latur Medical College, J J Deshpande, pleading that the university mediate and prevent police action against the examiners. A section of senior professors at the Nanded Medical College too had allegedly tried to pressurise university officials to shield the two accused, sources say. Principal Deshpande, however, denies that he urged university officials to protect the professors and claims he had learnt of the incident only on Wednesday through local newspapers.

Acknowleding that the offence was grave, Dr D N Ratnalikar, controller of examinations, SRT Marthwada University, rules out an internal inquiry into the matter. ``Since the police have already booked acase, the university has no role to play,'' he told Express Newsline.

Both the registrar and the controller of examinations admit that malpractices and manipulation is rampant in medical examinations. ``This business goes on everywhere. However, only incidents in the regions get detected,'' Sontakke remarks.

Ironically, the SRT Marathwada University had recently launched a public relations exercise saying it wants to emerge as a unique institution in the country under the vice-chancellorship of Dr Janaradhan Waghmare. The vice-chancellor, however, is on a tour of Madhya Pradesh and was not available for comment.