HC mulls special team to investigate NEET marks fraud

HC mulls special team to investigate NEET marks fraud

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:10.02.2021 

Why should a special investigation team (SIT) not be formed to probe allegations of answer sheet tampering in NEET, asked the Madras high court on Tuesday.

Justice B Pugalendhi made the observation while hearing a plea moved by K S Manoj, a student from Coimbatore, alleging that his answer sheet had been tampered and two different marks were found for his single answer sheet.

According to the answer sheet downloaded from the official NEET website on October 15, his score was 594. But as per the answer sheet made available on October 17, his mark was 248, he said. When the plea came up for hearing, additional solicitor general R Shankaranarayanan submitted that the National Information Commission (NIC) is the competent authority to probe the allegation.

The petitioner, however, said probe by an independent agency is required as the allegations point out irregularities in the entire examination system.Tothis,theASGsubmitted that all the sheets that are provided by the agency cannot be manipulated since they are chemically treated and that in this case, there are signatures of two separate invigilators and that requires a thorough investigation to establish the case. NIC is also an independent agency, he said.

Recording the submissions, the court wondered as to why an SIT comprising representatives from the CBI, NIC and the state government should not be constituted to probe the allegation. After the ASG submitted that there is no need for constitution of an SIT with a state representative, the court directed the petitioner and the National Testing Agency to file their respective written arguments and adjourned the plea to February18.