NEET PG impersonation: SC directs Karnataka Medical College to clarify who occupied seat
New Delhi: In the latest update in the plea concerning impersonation in NEET PG Counselling, the Supreme Court on Friday asked MS Ramaiah Medical College in Karnataka for a clarification in this regard and reveal who was occupying the seat.
Directing the medical college to file an affidavit in this regard, the top court bench comprising of Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant was quoted saying by Live Law, "Karnataka Examination Authority has filed an affidavit in pursuance to the order dated April 29. We direct MS Ramaiah Medical College to file counter clarifying who is occupying the seat which is said to have been allotted in round 2 in the name of the petitioner within a period of 3 weeks."
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Apex Court had issued notice while considering a case of impersonation in NEET-PG counselling, where a candidate in Karnataka took admission in the name and place of the petitioner student, who hailed originally from Rajasthan.
The petitioner doctor in the present case, who studied in Maharashtra, had taken part in the Round 1 and 2 of the AIQ counselling and consequently was allotted a seat in M.D Psychiatry in Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Wardha. However, she did not join the seat and exited the same with forfeiture. Following this, she took part in the State Counselling in Maharashtra in the State Quota seats and secured a seat for M.D. Chest and T.B. from Indira Gandhi Government Medical College, Nagpur.
At this point, the petitioner did not join the State seat as well and had challenged the April 16, 2022 notice issued by Maharashtra Government, by which she had been debarred from participating in the fresh mop up round.
In her petitioner, she had referred to the Supreme Court order dated March 31, 2022, students who had joined in round 2 of the State quota or round 2 of the AIQ shall not be eligible for participating in the mop-up round for the All India Quota. She claimed that as per the order, she was eligible for participating in the fresh mop up round as she did not join an seat in round 2 of AIQ or the State Quota seat.
"Thus, the Petitioner is eligible to participate for fresh AIQ Mop-Up and in the most arbitrary, mechanical and illegal manner blocked by impugned notice dated 16.04.2022. This despite the fact that the Respondent No.2 in its notice dated 26.03.2022 clearly showed status of the Petitioner as Non Joined/canceled candidate. That this is in gross violation of the Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Constitution and hence the Petitioner is constrained to knock the doors of this Hon'ble Court," the plea stated.
Meanwhile, the matter of alleged impersonation took place and the counsel for the petitioner, Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde submitted before the top court bench that someone else had taken admission in the place of the petitioner doctor in the State of Karnataka.
As per the latest media report by Live Law, during the hearing of the case on Friday, ASG Aishwarya Bhati informed the bench about the registration of FIR by the State of Karnataka and stressed on the fact that the matter required to be probed.
She submitted, "FIR has been registered by Karnataka. Showing how many steps were taken by us as to whether it was done by the petitioner or somebody on her behalf, investigation needs to be done in the matter. Nothing remains now."
Meanwhile, the counsel for the petitioner student, Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde contended that the matter pertained to an "identity theft" and submitted that the petitioner could only get the seat either in Maharashtra or Gujarat but but someone occupied the seat in Karnataka.
