Delhi High Court transfers judge handling paper leak cases

The Delhi High Court has transferred Special Judge Anu Grover Baliga from the designated fast-track paper leak court to an NIA court. Special Judge Ajay Gupta will now hear the NEET paper leak case, including the CBI chargesheet and pending bail pleas

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has transferred the special judge of the designated fast-track court dealing with paper leak cases, Anu Grover Baliga, along with 137 other judges. Special judge Baliga had barely completed a week in the designated court after taking charge on July 25. Special Judge Ajay Gupta, who was initially hearing the paper leak case, including the NEET matter, will replace Judge Baliga. Judge Baliga has been transferred to a special court under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act to try terror cases, according to a high court order issued on Saturday.

Other new NIA judges who will deal with terror cases are Vikas Dhull, Prashant Sharma, Pulastya Pramachala, Kiran Bansal and Amit Bansal. Judge Baliga was appointed after the high court notified a designated court to deal with criminal cases arising from paper leaks as well as the use of other unfair means in public examinations on July 23.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced setting up of fast-track courts to swiftly deal with cases of paper leaks. The first hearing in the NEET paper leak case was conducted on July 27, with the proceedings adjourned at the request of the defence counsel. The judge then posted the matter for Monday to consider the CBI chargesheet and the bail pleas of two accused.

The agency has chargesheeted 13 accused in the case, all of whom are in judicial custody. On May 12, the National Testing Agency (NTA) had cancelled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, held on May 3 for medical admissions amid allegations of paper leak.A re-exam was then held on June 21.