Sanchayita Lahkar

The Madras High Court, Single Bench of Justice Anand Venkatesh has directed the jurisdictional police to conduct an investigation into allegations of fabrication and forgery of a NEET-UG mark list used to secure admission to BSMS, BAMS, BUMS, and BHMS courses. Observing that the matter “cannot be lightly dealt with,” the Court held that a thorough probe was essential to determine the extent of the malpractice. In addition to disqualifying and debarring the candidate involved, the Court held the need for a criminal investigation and called for stringent measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The petitioner, D. Mohammed Nadeem, aged about 21 years, filed a writ petition seeking a direction to the fourth respondent to call him for counselling and allot a seat for BSMS/BAMS/BUMS/BHMS courses for 2025–2026. He claimed that his original NEET (UG) 2025 score was 478 marks with a corresponding All India Rank of 176174, as reflected in a scorecard placed at page 22.

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The petitioner applied for Government-quota counselling in Tamil Nadu. When the provisional selection list dated 10.10.2025 was published, his name was absent although several candidates with “similar score of 478 and even below” received seats. On re-checking the NTA portal, he found his marks displayed as 132, shown in another scorecard at page 121. He alleged that this change occurred without notice.

On 27.10.2025, the Court directed the Additional Solicitor General (“ASG”) to obtain instructions on the mark’s discrepancy. On 28.10.2025, NTA filed the OMR sheet and calculation sheet. The NTA submitted that the QR code on both scorecards consistently showed 132 marks, and the OMR evaluation confirmed 49 correct answers and 64 wrong answers, totalling 132 marks.

The dispute involved whether (i) the petitioner legitimately secured 478 marks, (ii) the scorecard displaying 478 was authentic or fabricated, and (iii) any unilateral alteration of marks occurred. The case arose under Article 226 of the Constitution.

The Court recorded that the “only issue involved… is regarding the marks secured by the petitioner in the NEET (UG) – 2025 examination” and that according to the petitioner he had “secured 478 marks out of 720 with a corresponding All India Rank of 176174.”

The Court noted the petitioner’s claim that upon checking the NTA portal, “his mark is shown as 132… and according to the petitioner, there was a unilateral and unexplained change of the marks without notice.”

On examining the NTA’s materials, the Court recorded that “the QR code is available both at Page No.22 and 121… and when the same is scanned, it only reflects 132 marks secured by the petitioner.” The Court further stated that the OMR sheet showed that the petitioner “had correctly answered 49 questions and had committed wrong in 64 questions and the total marks… is 132 marks.”

The Court observed that the document at page 22 showing 478 marks “is a fabricated document” and that “the tampering has taken place in the column ‘total marks obtained.’” It added that “the QR code cannot be tampered,” and therefore scanning continued to show 132.

The Court stated that the petitioner “approached this Court with unclean hands and has based his claim on a forged and fabricated document.” It added that although the petitioner was 21 years old, “there must be some one behind the petitioner, who has indulged in tampering with the score card,” and that such conduct “suffers from moral turpitude.”

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The Court also recorded the ASG’s submission that “for the act committed by the petitioner, he will be de-bared from taking the NEET examination for three years.” It further stated that an investigation was required “to find out the culprit behind the tampering of the score card that was produced by the petitioner.”

The Court directed: “In the light of the above discussion, this Court does not find any merits in the present writ petition and accordingly, the same is hereby dismissed. The petitioner is directed to pay the cost of Rs.25,000/- to the credit of Chief Justice Relief Fund. There shall be a direction to the 4th respondent to give a formal complaint before the concerned jurisdictional police station along with the copy of this order. On receipt of the same, an FIR shall be registered and the investigation shall be commenced in order to find out the actual culprits behind the fabrication and forgery of the document. Consequently, the connected miscellaneous petition is closed.”

Advocates Representing The Parties

For the Petitioner: Mr. Abhinav Parthasarathy
For the Respondents: Mr. A.R.L. Sundaresan, ASG, assisted by Ms. Sunitha; Ms. Shubharanjani Ananth; Mr. K. Ramanamoorthy; Mrs. M. Sneha for R4; Mr. K. Tippusultan

Case Title: D. Mohammed Nadeem v. National Testing Agency & Others
Case Number: WP No. 39755 of 2025
Bench: Justice N. Anand Venkatesh