NEET-UG paper leak accused permitted to take exam in custody

A Delhi court allowed NEET-UG paper leak accused Yash Yadav to appear for the re-examination on June 21 while in custody. While denying interim bail, the court said the accused’s academic rights must be protected without affecting the ongoing CBI investigation

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday allowed an accused in the NEET-UG paper leak case to appear for the re-examination scheduled for June 21 while in custody.

Vacation Judge Vishal Gogne was hearing the interim bail plea of the accused, Yash Yadav, to appear for the re-exam after the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 3 cancelled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, held on May 3 for medical admissions amid allegations of paper leak.

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He said while the applicant faced grave allegations of wrongful dissemination and trading in the confidential questions of the very examination in which he now seeks to appear, his rights as a student cannot be defeated by turning bail into punishment by denying him the opportunity to appear for the re-examination.

“More so, when the eligibility, candidature and selection of any student in an examination is subject to appropriate orders from the competent authorities/exam conducting body. In this view, the court finds the applicant to be entitled to appear for the examination on June 21,” the judge said.

He, however, said that considering the initial stage of the investigation, the wide sweep of the material and evidence sought to be collected, and the prospect of other suspects still being investigated, the court is not inclined to grant interim bail to facilitate such participation.

The judge noted that Yadav’s counsel, in the alternative, said that his client could be permitted to take the exam in custody. “The court is inclined to take a favourable view of the said prayer. Such a modality would protect the rights of the applicant/accused and also safeguard the interests of the investigation,” the judge said, allowing Yadav to be taken for the exam in custody.

The CBI arrested Yadav in Jaipur on May 13. He was later sent to judicial custody. A total of 13 accused have been arrested in the case, all of whom are presently in judicial custody.