The Supreme Court on Wednesday put on hold the All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT) results till June 10 awaiting the probe report from the Haryana Police into the alleged leak of the question paper.
The Vacation Bench of Justices Prafulla C Pant and Amitava Roy directed the CBSE to defer the announcement of results scheduled for June 5 after the Haryana Police informed the Court that 12 people arrested in connection with the leak have revealed that beneficiaries extended to several States.
Faced with a demand to annul the examination by several students and parents, the Bench said, “We want to be doubly sure that there is no alternative but to order re-conduct of the examination.” Advocate Prashant Bhushan appearing for one of the students submitted that to track the beneficiaries of the leak will be impossible as the gang involved had provided SIMs on fake identities and got it deactivated soon after the examination ended on May 3.
The Bench asked Haryana Police officials on the status of probe. Police officers present in Court informed that students from over ten States were found to be involved and help has been sought from their counterparts in these States. On the exact number of beneficiaries, the police expressed inability at this stage as efforts are on to trace the kingpin Roop Singh Dangi who had arranged for the answer keys from experts in the field and relayed it to beneficiary students by providing them with specially designed vests with SIM fitted and a Bluetooth device. Dangi made big bucks this way as he promised a sure-shot medical seat on payment of Rs15-20 lakh.
Bhushan and other lawyers representing parents told the Court that cancellation of examination was the only way out as sanctity of the examination had to be maintained. The Bench reiterated, “We are fully aware of the fact that the bigger issue here is that the sanctity of the examination is under suspicion. We are expecting the probe to complete. We do not want to decide in haste.”
The Court fixed one week deadline for the Haryana Police to provide its status report giving clear indication whether the leak should lead to annulment of examination. For CBSE, Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh informed Court that the fate of close to six lakh students hangs in balance and any further deferment of results will affect the remaining schedule with regard to counselling and admission.