The Rouse Avenue court granted bail to Gangadhar Gunde, whose counsel argued mistaken identity in his arrest by the CBI in the NEET paper case linked to Latur, Maharashtra. Gunde was arrested from Dehradun on June 26. Special CBI Judge Ankit Singla granted bail after hearing arguments from both the CBI and Gunde’s counsel. Gunde’s lawyer, Advocate Kailash More, contended that Gunde was wrongly arrested due to mistaken identity, not being the person the CBI sought.
Background of the case
The CBI later took over the NEET UG exam 2024 FIR, initially filed by Latur Police. The case involved multiple accused, including one N Gangadhar Appa Nanjuthappa, arrested later in Bengaluru. Gunde’s name surfaced during the investigation due to a meeting with a suspect, Sanjay Tukaram Jadhav.
CBI’s counterarguments
The CBI’s counsel argued that the real identity of the accused was still uncertain as a suspect, Irenna Konagalwar, remained at large. The CBI linked Gunde to the case through his interactions with other suspects and the mobile number used in the crime.
Case details and arrests
The CBI lodged the case against unknown persons initially, and Gunde’s arrest followed suspicions raised during other interrogations. The investigation linked Gunde to a network involving NEET aspirants and monetary transactions for mark alterations.
Future proceedings
The court’s decision to grant bail, pending further investigations and awaited phone call data records, marks a significant turn in the ongoing NEET paper leak investigation.
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