NEET aspirant Ayushi’s petition endorsed by Priyanka Vadra, rejected by Allahabad HC; Permits NTA to take legal action

On Tuesday, June 18, the Allahabad High Court ruled that the National Testing Agency (NTA) is authorised to take legal action against NEET candidate Ayushi Patel. Patel had alleged in her petition that the NTA failed to release her results and claimed that her OMR answer sheet had been torn. However, it was discovered that she had submitted fake documents to support her claim. The case of Patel was shared widely and supported by Priyanaka Gandhi Vadra.

Under the court’s direction, the NTA produced Patel’s original OMR sheet, which was found to be intact, contradicting her allegation that it was torn. In accordance with the court’s order from June 12, NTA Deputy Director Sandeep Sharma presented the student’s original documents and an affidavit. Counsel Shashank Bhasin submitted the original OMR Sheet, Attendance Sheet, and Score Card of the petitioner to the court. Bhasin argued that these documents, bearing the application number 240411340741 and signed by Patel, confirmed her application number.

However, Patel’s counsel, Piyush Agnihotri, contended that her NEET UG 2024 application number was 240411840741. Agnihotri presented evidence, including a photocopy of an email from Deshraj Singh of the NTA, stating that the agency had received a damaged (torn) OMR sheet associated with the application number 240411840741. Additional evidence included a mail from Patel to NEET indicating the same application number.

Despite this, the original documents submitted by Patel bore the application number 240411340741. Bhasin, representing the NTA, expressed confusion over why Patel’s correspondence indicated a different application number than the one on her official documents.

After reviewing the submissions, the vacation bench led by Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan concluded that Patel had submitted her plea using forged documents. Justice Chauhan noted, “Sri Bhasin has stated with vehemence that all the documents filed with the petition are forged and fictitious. The examination of the original documents reveals that Sri Bhasin’s statement is correct.”

Bhasin referred to Chapter 13 of the NEET UG 2024 information brochure, which outlines unfair means practices and examination rule violations. According to clauses 14.1-(l)(q) and (r), providing incorrect information, overwriting roll numbers, and making false claims by manipulating OMR responses are violations.

Bhasin informed the court that the NTA decided to pursue legal action. Patel’s counsel conceded, stating he had nothing to say in defense of his client. The court expressed disappointment, calling the situation a “sorry state of affairs,” and permitted the NTA to proceed with legal action.

The court ruled, “Be that as it may, this is really a sorry state of affairs that the petitioner filed a petition enclosing forged and fictitious documents. Therefore, this Court cannot restrain the competent authorities from taking any legal action against the petitioner in accordance with the law.”

Finally, upon the request of Patel’s counsel to dismiss the petition as he had no defense to offer, the court dismissed the petition, noting it was not pressed by the petitioner.

As the court ruled that Ayushi Patel had submitted forged documents and allowed the NTA to take legal action against her, it is important to remember how the Congress party and its state social media units propagated claims of tampering with Patel’s NEET OMR sheet.

In an apparent effort to exploit the alleged irregularities in the NEET UG 2024 exams to target the Central government, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi shared a video of Ayushi Patel on June 10th without verifying the accuracy of her claims.

Gandhi posted on X, “Lakhs of children prepare hard for exams like NEET and spend the most precious moments of their lives in this preparation. The whole family puts their faith and strength in this effort. But year after year, paper leaks and irregularities related to results have been reported in these exams. Shouldn’t the accountability of the agencies conducting the exams be fixed? Shouldn’t the government give up its careless attitude and seriously consider the exam system? We cannot see the dreams of our young friends being shattered like this. This injustice being done by the system with their hard work must stop. The government will have to take serious steps to correct these irregularities.”

The NTA, however, refuted Patel’s claims and allegations of OMR tampering, denying that any torn OMR answer sheet had been sent to her. Patel had claimed in a video statement that the National Testing Agency, which conducts examinations in India, had emailed her stating that her OMR sheet was damaged. She alleged that the email conveyed her results could not be generated because her OMR sheet was torn and damaged, suggesting deliberate tampering. Patel claimed that despite the damage, her answers on the OMR sheet showed she had scored 715 out of 720 marks.

Contrary to her claims, the NTA revealed that Patel’s answer sheet was intact and that her actual score was 365, not 715. Additionally, in 2020, Patel had sought media attention by claiming she had discovered the ‘formula for the Covid vaccine’ in her head.