NEET Paper Leak Case: Accused Claims ‘Mistaken Identity’ Led To His CBI Arrest, Granted Bail

On Friday, July 12, the Rouse Avenue court granted bail to Gangadhar Gunde, whose lawyer argued that he was mistakenly arrested by the CBI due to a case of mistaken identity in connection with a NEET paper case in Latur, Maharashtra.

Gangadhar Gunde was arrested by the CBI on June 26 in Dehradun. The case, initially filed by Latur Police at Shivaji Nagar Police Station, was later taken over by the CBI.

Special CBI Judge Ankit Singla granted bail to Gunde after hearing arguments from both the CBI and Gunde’s counsel. Bail was granted upon furnishing a bail bond of ₹25,000 and a surety bond of the same amount.

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Lawyer Argues Gangadhar Gunde Was Wrongfully Arrested

Advocate Kailash More, representing Gunde, argued that his client was wrongfully arrested due to mistaken identity. The CBI had originally registered an FIR regarding the 2024 NEET UG exam against a person named Gangadhar, but the full name was not disclosed. The actual suspect, N Gangadhar Appa Nanjuthappa, was later arrested by the CBI in Bengaluru.

More also argued that Gunde’s name came up during the investigation after meeting Sanjay Tukaram Jadhav on October 2 in Osmanabad regarding a matrimonial dispute involving Gunde’s daughter. The two exchanged phone numbers, and Gunde contacted Jadhav on October 3, as stated in the bail plea.

The CBI counsel contested the defense’s claims, stating that another suspect, Irenna Konagalwar, who knows the real Gangadhar, is still at large. Therefore, it cannot be definitively said that Gunde is not the person the CBI was seeking.

The CBI, relying on statements from arrested teachers Jadhav and Jalil Umar Khan Pathan, noted that Konagalwar knew Gangadhar.

They also highlighted that another accused, N Gangadhar Appa Nanjuthappa, had been arrested, and the mobile number in question was used by Gunde. The FIR filed on June 23, 2024, mentioned Gunde’s name, surfacing during the interrogation of Jadhav and Pathan.

What Did CBI Say?

The CBI counsel further argued that Gunde’s arrest was based on a complaint by an ATS Maharashtra police inspector against four individuals, including Gunde, whose name and number were listed in the complaint.

They emphasized that Konagalwar, still on the run, is the only person who can identify the real Gangadhar.

Additionally, the CBI is awaiting Gunde’s phone call detail records (CDR).

The CBI counsel also outlined the conspiracy, stating that Jadhav and Pathan were involved in collecting initial token money and admit cards from NEET aspirants, which were then passed to Konagalwar, who in turn handed them to Gangadhar in Delhi to boost the aspirants’ scores.

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