In a recent judgment, the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed a writ petition filed by Dudekula Shameera, a 22-year-old medical aspirant from Ananthapuram district, who alleged that her NEET OMR answer sheet had been tampered with. The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Ravi Cheemalapati pronounced the verdict on July 21, 2025, rejecting the student's plea for relief.
The petitioner had filed Writ Petition No. 14243 of 2025 under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, seeking a direction to the National Testing Agency (NTA) to verify and match her thumb impression and handwriting with the disputed OMR sheet. She claimed that the OMR sheet sent to her via email and registered post was not the one she had filled during the examination. According to her, although she had attempted all 180 questions and answered 171 correctly, the OMR sheet provided to her showed that only 11 questions were attempted, of which only two were correct.
The representations submitted by the petitioner seeking verification of the handwriting and thumb impression of the disputed OMR sheet were without response, her counsel T. Suryanarayana argued, alleging that her OMR sheet had been swapped with another one using forged signatures and thumb impressions.
In response, the NTA, represented by Central Government Counsel Y.V. Anil Kumar, filed a counter-affidavit denying all allegations. They clarified that the examination was a pen-and-paper based test using machine-readable OMR answer sheets, and all procedures were strictly followed. It was stated that Shameera had been allotted Test Booklet Code 48 with Answer Sheet No.116459984, which bore her name, roll number, and other required details. Her signature and thumb impression were taken on the answer sheet and the attendance register, and both were countersigned by the invigilators. The OMR sheets, including the petitioner’s, were placed in sealed pink envelopes in the exam room, and signatures of two candidates were taken on the envelope as proof.
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"The NTA has a fool-proof system in which it is impossible to tamper or swap any OMR answer sheet," the agency asserted.
During the hearing, the court examined the signature discrepancies highlighted by the petitioner, including those on her Admit Card-Provisional, vakalats, and the writ affidavit. It found inconsistencies not only between the Admit Card and the OMR sheet but also among her own various signatures in the court documents.
"Handwriting and signature of any person are subject to inherent inconsistencies. The state of mind, especially during an exam, can affect how a signature appears," the Bench observed, emphasizing that such discrepancies alone cannot substantiate a claim of tampering.
The court also noted that the petitioner had failed to allege any mala fide intention or misconduct by exam room staff.
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In the absence of any such assertion, the claim of tampering appears implausible, the judges held, reiterating the security of the process followed by the NTA. Considering all the facts, the court concluded that the petition lacked merit.
All pending miscellaneous petitions were also closed as part of the final order.
Case Details:
Case Number: WRIT PETITION NO: 14243/2025
Case Title: DUDEKULA SHAMEERA v. THE UNION OF INDIA