Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court has refused to discharge Dixit Patel, chairman of the Jay Jalaram Education Trust, in the alleged NEET-UG 2024 OMR sheet manipulation case, holding that the material on record discloses prima facie evidence and grave suspicion requiring a full trial.
Patel was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in June 2024. He is accused of involvement in irregularities linked to two schools run by the trust, both of which functioned as exam centres for NEET-UG 2024. The CBI alleges that Patel and other accused persons entered into a conspiracy to collect large sums of money from candidates by promising inflated marks in the medical entrance exam.
According to the prosecution, students were instructed to leave their OMR answer sheets blank or only partially answered. They were allegedly assured that correct responses would later be filled in by the accused, enabling them to secure unusually high scores and improve their chances of obtaining MBBS seats in India or abroad.
Before the high court, special CBI counsel argued that Patel and the co-accused acted in coordination to manipulate the exam process for financial gain. The court noted that Patel’s position as trustee and the statements recorded during investigation, when read as a whole, indicated a meeting of minds among the accused.
Patel’s counsel argued that he had no role in appointing the city coordinator or deputy centre superintendent and that no direct evidence connected him to corruption or conspiracy. “Where the materials placed before the court disclose grave suspicion against the accused which has not been properly explained, the court will be fully justified in framing a charge and proceeding with the trial,” stated the HC order.
