NEET 2024 Controversy: Plea Alleges NTA Officers Manipulated OMR Sheets! SC Adjourns Matter to Next Week

New Delhi: Amid the uproar regarding the alleged paper leak in the National Eligibility-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024 examination, a plea alleging the involvement of the National Testing Agency (NTA) officers in manipulating the OMR sheets was listed before the Supreme Court.

However, the Vacation Bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices Manoj Misra and S.V.N. Bhatti adjourned the matter to next week and asked the petitioner to withdraw a similar plea filed before the High Court.

When the matter came up for hearing before the Supreme Court, the counsel for NTA pointed out that a similar plea was filed before the High Court. Responding to this, the counsel for the petitioner, Advocate Ravi Kumar, submitted that even though the matter was mentioned before the High Court, the Court had refused to consider the matter because the Supreme Court had seized the matters related to NEET.

He also submitted to the Apex Court that the petitioner would not pursue the matter before the High Court and added that the instant plea disclosed "Completely different facts and grounds alleging that the NTA officers are involved in the manipulation of the OMR. Since 2020 I am coming to Hon'ble Court.....I am saying that the OMRs are itself swapped, the respondents are not having the original OMRs. I want this Hon'ble Court to see the OMR."

Also Read: NEET 2024 paper leak case: CBI collects all material evidence from Bihar Police, FIR registered

As per the latest media report by Live Law, despite this submission by the petitioner's counsel, the Court asked him to withdraw the plea pending before the High Court first. Accordingly, the Court ordered, "The learned counsel for the respondent has taken a preliminary objection regarding the maintainability…on the ground that the petitioner has already approached the High Court with the same prayer. Learned counsel for the petitioner prayed for time to file an affidavit explaining the said objection. As prayed, list on next week…"

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that multiple pleas had been filed before the Supreme Court alleging discrepancies in the conduction of the NEET UG 2024 exam, held on May 5, 2024. Some of the pleas had earlier challenged the National Testing Agency's policy of granting grace marks to 1563 candidates. Some of the pleas had sought a stay on the commencement of the counseling of the NEET-UG 2024. 

Earlier, the Apex Court had refused to defer the NEET UG 2024 counselling, scheduled to commence on July 6, 2024. However, the top court had also orally observed that the admissions will be subject to the final outcome of the pleas and if the exams are set aside, the counselling will also become invalidated consequentially.

While hearing separate pleas concerning the NEET examination, the apex court had on June 18 said that even if there was "0.001 per cent negligence" on the part of anyone in the conduct of the examination, it should be thoroughly dealt with.

Meanwhile, amid the chaos and confusion regarding the conduction of the NEET UG 2024 examination, the Central Government on June 22, 2024, handed over the charge of investigation in the alleged irregularities in the NEET UG 2024 examination to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

"Certain cases of alleged irregularities / cheating / impersonation / malpractices have been reported. For transparency on the conduct of the examination process, the Ministry of Education, Government of India after a review has decided to entrust the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for comprehensive investigation," Ministry of Education stated in a release.

Also Read: Breaking: CBI ordered to investigate NEET exam scandal