NEET-UG exam: SC issues notice to NTA on pleas for CBI probe on alleged paper leak
New Delhi, June 14 (UNI): The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the National Testing Agency (NTA) on the pleas of students seeking a CBI investigation into the alleged instances of paper leak and malpractices in the conduct of the NEET-UG 2024 exam on May 5 this year.
The vacation bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta asked the NTA to file their response within two weeks and tagged the cases with earlier petitions filed on similar issues. All the petitions will be heard on July 8.
The bench took strong objection to one of the petitioner’s pleas that students in Kota were committing suicide. The bench said, “Suicides in Kota were not due to NEET-UG 2024 exam results, don’t make unnecessary emotional arguments here”, Justice Nath said.
When the counsel of one of the petitioners pressed for a CBI investigation into the alleged paper leak, Justice Nath said, “ We will have to seek NTA’s response first.”
The counsel said that the students were seeking other “imminent” reliefs as well, such as NTA furnishing details of the entire examination pertaining to every candidate before counselling begins in July. “It’s the future of 24 lakh students,” he argued.
Justice Nath, said that the court is conscious of the facts and all arguments shall be raised on July 8.
The matter pertains to various petitions filed in the Supreme Court alleging various malpractices and manipulations in conducting the NEET-UG exam.
Students raised objections and suspicions from states like Odisha, Karnataka and Jharkhand on the allegations of choosing a particular centre at Godhra, Gujarat.
As many as seven writ petitions have been filed in the apex Court which will be heard on July 8.
