The Allahabad High Court dismissed a petition filed by NEET aspirant Ayushi Patel on Tuesday after finding discrepancies in her claims regarding a damaged OMR answer sheet.
Patel alleged the National Testing Agency (NTA) failed to declare her result due to a torn OMR sheet. She further claimed a score of 715 based on the answer key, but received a result with a different application number showing only 335 marks. The claims were made in a video shared on social media, which went viral in the midst of a blazing row over “irregularities” in the 2024 NEET-UG exam.
In her petition, Patel demanded a manual evaluation of her OMR sheet, an inquiry against the NTA, and a halt to the ongoing admission counselling.
However, upon a court order, the NTA presented the original OMR sheet, which showed no damage. The court, terming it a case of "forged documents," dismissed the petition and said the NTA is free 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 said.
The NTA confirmed to the court their intention to pursue legal action against Patel. Patel's advocate requested to withdraw the petition, which the court accepted.
Earlier, the NTA had refuted Patel's claims, stating her actual score was lower than claimed and the OMR sheet remained intact.
Ayushi Patel’s viral video had been shared by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who supported her claims of discrepancies in her exam results. Gandhi had also urged the government to “give up its careless attitude” and take action against alleged paper leaks and irregularities.
Taking aim at the Congress leader after the High Court dismissed Ayushi Patel’s petition, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala accused Priyanka Gandhi of “peddling fakery” and “amplifying lies”. He called on Gandhi to apologise and also sought action against her.
