A vacation bench of justices Prafulla C Pant and Amitava Roy granted <g data-gr-id="85">one more</g> week to Haryana police today <g data-gr-id="86">to file</g> <g data-gr-id="90">a fresh</g> report indicating <g data-gr-id="87">the number</g> of beneficiaries <g data-gr-id="88">of the</g> alleged irregularities <g data-gr-id="89">in the</g> pre-medical examination.
It asked police to identify as many candidates as possible who had been benefited <g data-gr-id="51">from the</g> alleged leak.
During the hearing, the bench <g data-gr-id="75">said </g><g data-gr-id="76"><g data-gr-id="75">it</g> would</g> decide whether to re-conduct the examination after receiving the <g data-gr-id="77">status report</g> <g data-gr-id="78">from the</g> police on June 10.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) was to declare the results <g data-gr-id="69">of the</g> <g data-gr-id="70">All India</g> Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) on June 5.
"We are <g data-gr-id="100">fully aware</g> <g data-gr-id="101">of </g><g data-gr-id="102"><g data-gr-id="101">all</g> this</g>. The bigger issue <g data-gr-id="103">is </g><g data-gr-id="104"><g data-gr-id="103">that</g> the</g> sanctity <g data-gr-id="105">of the</g> examination is under suspicion. We <g data-gr-id="106">want </g><g data-gr-id="107"><g data-gr-id="106">to</g> be</g> doubly <g data-gr-id="108">sure </g><g data-gr-id="109"><g data-gr-id="108">that</g> </g><g data-gr-id="110"><g data-gr-id="109">there</g> </g><g data-gr-id="111"><g data-gr-id="110">is</g> no</g> alternative but <g data-gr-id="112">to order</g> re-conduct <g data-gr-id="113">of the</g> examination," it said, adding <g data-gr-id="114">that </g><g data-gr-id="115"><g data-gr-id="114">it</g> </g><g data-gr-id="116"><g data-gr-id="115">does</g> not</g> <g data-gr-id="117">want to</g> <g data-gr-id="118">take a</g> decision "in haste".
"We <g data-gr-id="53">have </g><g data-gr-id="54"><g data-gr-id="53">to</g> be</g> doubly sure. We <g data-gr-id="55">do not</g> <g data-gr-id="56">want </g><g data-gr-id="57"><g data-gr-id="56">to</g> be</g> criticised for any action," it <g data-gr-id="58">said and</g> asked the police to "hunt" for other beneficiaries.
"We are expecting the probe to conclude," the bench said, adding that this was "important" to decide <g data-gr-id="59">the future</g> course of action.
At the outset, the counsel for Haryana police told the court <g data-gr-id="128">that </g><g data-gr-id="129"><g data-gr-id="128">so</g> far</g> 12 persons <g data-gr-id="130">have been</g> arrested <g data-gr-id="131">in the</g> <g data-gr-id="132">case and</g> 25 students <g data-gr-id="133">have been</g> identified as beneficiaries <g data-gr-id="134">of the</g> alleged racket.
<g data-gr-id="165">One </g><g data-gr-id="166"><g data-gr-id="165">of</g> the</g> <g data-gr-id="167">police officers</g> told the bench <g data-gr-id="169">that there</g> are two students among the arrested persons and students of <g data-gr-id="171">at least</g> ten states were involved <g data-gr-id="213">in it</g>.
The police, however, expressed inability in getting the exact details of beneficiaries <g data-gr-id="140">on </g><g data-gr-id="143"><g data-gr-id="140">the</g> ground</g> that <g data-gr-id="148">SIM </g><g data-gr-id="148">cards</g>, used <g data-gr-id="274">in </g><g data-gr-id="275"><g data-gr-id="274">passing</g> </g><g data-gr-id="276"><g data-gr-id="275">on</g> the</g> question papers and the answer keys, were procured by using fake and forged <g data-gr-id="157">ID cards</g>.
"If 12 persons are already <g data-gr-id="142">in the</g> net then how <g data-gr-id="147">is it</g> possible <g data-gr-id="151">that the</g> kingpin (Roop Singh <g data-gr-id="138">Dangi</g>) <g data-gr-id="152">is not</g> nabbed," the bench <g data-gr-id="155">said and</g> asked "has he gone abroad?"
Prashant Bhushan, appearing <g data-gr-id="186">for </g><g data-gr-id="188"><g data-gr-id="186">one</g> </g><g data-gr-id="190"><g data-gr-id="188">of</g> the</g> petitioners, <g data-gr-id="191">said </g><g data-gr-id="192"><g data-gr-id="191">it</g> has</g> become almost "<g data-gr-id="193">impossible to</g> identify beneficiaries <g data-gr-id="194">of the</g> wide-spread offence" and hence, <g data-gr-id="196">re-</g> conduct <g data-gr-id="195">of the</g> test was necessary to maintain its integrity.
"Besides the legal issues, the decision of not holding the examination will cause heart-burn among deserving students. I <g data-gr-id="83">know the</g> dilemma before this court," <g data-gr-id="84">he said</g>.
"We <g data-gr-id="168">cannot</g> allow you (police) <g data-gr-id="170">more than</g> <g data-gr-id="172">one week</g> to identify the beneficiaries as there <g data-gr-id="175">is a</g> serious <g data-gr-id="176">time crunch</g>," the bench said, adding <g data-gr-id="177">that the</g> "sanctity" <g data-gr-id="178">of the</g> examination has <g data-gr-id="179">to be</g> maintained.
The court also <g data-gr-id="91">said </g><g data-gr-id="92"><g data-gr-id="91">it</g> has</g> <g data-gr-id="93">to be</g> kept <g data-gr-id="95">in </g><g data-gr-id="96"><g data-gr-id="95">mind</g> that</g> CBSE has no role <g data-gr-id="97">in the</g> leak of question papers which have taken place at certain examination centres.
Additional <g data-gr-id="139">Solicitor General</g> Maninder Singh, appearing for CBSE, told the court <g data-gr-id="145">that the</g> Board had already uploaded the answer keys <g data-gr-id="146">on the</g> <g data-gr-id="149">site and</g> this has enabled six lakh candidates <g data-gr-id="153">to get</g> an idea of their performance.
Earlier, the court had expressed unwillingness to hold the AIPMT afresh and directed the Haryana Police to expedite its probe to track the beneficiaries.
Large-scale irregularities including leakage of answer keys for this year's AIMPT exam <g data-gr-id="180">came </g><g data-gr-id="181"><g data-gr-id="180">to</g> the</g> <g data-gr-id="182">light </g><g data-gr-id="183"><g data-gr-id="182">on</g> the</g> exam day, <g data-gr-id="184">with the</g> investigators informing the court <g data-gr-id="185">that the</g> answer keys of 123 questions were transmitted through 75 <g data-gr-id="187">mobile phones</g> <g data-gr-id="189">in states</g> like Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Haryana.
The court had issued notices <g data-gr-id="71">to the</g> Centre, CBSE, Medical Council of India and Haryana <g data-gr-id="72">on the</g> pleas seeking re-conduct <g data-gr-id="73">of the</g> AIPMT <g data-gr-id="74">on grounds</g> of alleged large-scale irregularities.
<g data-gr-id="60">One </g><g data-gr-id="61"><g data-gr-id="60">of</g> the</g> petitions claimed <g data-gr-id="62">that the</g> investigation <g data-gr-id="63">carried out</g> <g data-gr-id="64">by the</g> SIT has revealed <g data-gr-id="65">that the</g> accused gang operated <g data-gr-id="67">in different</g> states including Bihar, <g data-gr-id="66">Uttar Pradesh</g> and Rajasthan.
Citing news reports, it alleged <g data-gr-id="79">that the</g> examination conducted on May 3 stood vitiated <g data-gr-id="82">in light</g> <g data-gr-id="80">of the</g> police probe in several states, suggesting widespread ramification <g data-gr-id="81">of the</g> alleged leak of answer keys.
It also <g data-gr-id="159">said the</g> "counselling/admission" <g data-gr-id="160">on the</g> basis of alleged "vitiated examination" would violate Articles 14 and 21 <g data-gr-id="161">of the</g> Constitution with respect to genuine candidates, claiming <g data-gr-id="162">that </g><g data-gr-id="163"><g data-gr-id="162">at</g> least</g> 90 leaked answer keys were transmitted to candidates <g data-gr-id="164">in consideration</g> of Rs 15-20 lakh.