Delhi High Court Dismisses Petition Challenging JEE (Main) 2025 Results
Petitioners Face Adverse Inference and Costs for Alleged Tampering of Scorecards
The Delhi High Court, on September 22, 2025, delivered a significant judgment dismissing a writ petition challenging the results of JEE (Main) 2025. The petition, filed by Anusha Gupta and others, alleged tampering and manipulation of scorecards and response sheets by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the examination.
The court, presided over by Justice Vikas Mahajan, examined the claims of the petitioners who argued that their scores were altered after downloading from the official NTA website. They sought reliefs including participation in JEE (Advanced), an independent inquiry against NTA, and a robust grievance redressal mechanism. However, forensic analysis conducted by the National Cyber Forensic Laboratory (NCFL) revealed critical gaps in the evidence provided by the petitioners, particularly missing browser logs during the time the scorecards were downloaded.
The court noted that the absence of crucial browsing logs suggested intentional deletion or tampering by the petitioners. Despite the petitioners' arguments, the NCFL report indicated manual interaction and modification of response sheets, further undermining their claims. The court found the petitioners had approached with unclean hands and imposed costs of Rs.30,000 each to deter similar conduct in the future.
The decision emphasized the presumption of genuineness of official records maintained by autonomous bodies like NTA, under Section 114 of the Evidence Act, 1872. The judgment reflects the limitations of writ jurisdiction in adjudicating disputed facts and serves as a caution to litigants presenting unsubstantiated claims.
Bottom Line:
The writ petition challenging the results of JEE (Main) 2025 on grounds of alleged tampering and manipulation of scorecards and response sheets was dismissed as the petitioners failed to establish their bona fides, and forensic analysis revealed critical gaps in the evidence provided by them.
Statutory provision(s): Article 226 of the Constitution of India, Section 114 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872
Anusha Gupta v. National Testing Agency, (Delhi) : Law Finder Doc Id # 2783245
