Allahabad HC dismisses NEET aspirant's 'torn OMR sheet' plea
The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a writ petition filed by National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) aspirant, Ayushi Patel, after it was revealed that she had submitted forged documents in her plea. Patel had alleged that the National Testing Agency (NTA) failed to declare her result due to a torn Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheet and demanded a manual evaluation of her OMR sheet.
Patel's allegations and plea to the High Court
In her plea, Patel also requested the court to halt ongoing admission counselling procedures during her writ petition's pendency. On June 12, the court ordered the NTA to present Patel's original documents for verification. Upon examination, it was discovered that all documents submitted with Patel's petition were forged and fictitious. Presiding over the case, Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan expressed disappointment at the "really sorry state of affairs" that involved the submission of counterfeit documents with the petition.
NTA considers legal action against Patel
Following the revelation of the forged documents, Patel's counsel requested permission for her not to press the petition. The court dismissed the petition but also stated that it cannot prevent competent authorities from taking legal action against Patel "strictly in accordance with the law." The NTA has indicated that it is considering legal action against her for submitting forged documents.
NTA refutes Patel's claims on social media
Patel's case came to light amid an uproar over discrepancies in the conduct of the NEET-UG 2024, with political leaders such as Congress's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra backing her. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court pulled up the NTA and Centre over alleged paper leaks and malpractices during the exam, saying, "If there is 0.001% negligence on the part of anyone it should be thoroughly dealt with."
