Forged documents: Allahabad High Court junks NEET candidate's 'torn OMR sheet' plea

The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a petition filed by NEET candidate Ayushi Patel after finding discrepancies and "forged documents" in her claims regarding a damaged OMR answer sheet.

Patel, in her petition, alleged that the National Testing Agency (NTA) failed to declare her result due to a torn OMR sheet, resulting in a difference between her claimed and actual scores. Her claims gained attention after a video she shared on social media went viral amid discussions about irregularities in the 2024 NEET-UG exam.

However, upon presenting the original OMR sheet in court, the NTA refuted Patel's claims, stating that her actual score was lower than claimed and the sheet remained intact. The court, terming the documents submitted by Patel as "forged," dismissed the petition and allowed the NTA to take legal action.

"The petitioner has submitted forged documents, and in such a situation this court cannot stop NTA from taking legal action against the student," the court remarked.

Following the court's decision, the NTA confirmed its intention to pursue legal action against Patel for the submission of forged documents. Patel's advocate subsequently requested to withdraw the petition, which the court accepted.

The case gained political attention after Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra shared Ayushi Patel's video, supporting her claims and urging action against alleged paper leaks and irregularities in the NEET-UG exam. However, in light of the court's dismissal of Patel's petition, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala criticized Gandhi, accusing her of "peddling fakery" and amplifying lies. Poonawala called for an apology from Gandhi and sought action against her for her involvement in the matter.