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* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
+ W.P.(C) 5904/2025 & CM APPL 26907/2025
ANUSHA GUPTA & ORS. .....Petitioners
Through: Mr. Deepak Jain, Ms. Jaspreet
Aulakh, Ms. Anoushka Singh, Ms. Dashampreet
Kaur, Mr. Sajal Gupta and Mr. Aksh Raina,
Advocates.
versus
NATIONAL TESTING AGENCY (THROUGH THE DIRECTOR)
& ORS. .....Respondents
Through: Mr. Rupesh Kumar, Senior Advocate
with Mr.Sanjay Khanna, Standing Counsel with
Ms. Pankhuri Srivastava, Mr. Alekshendra
Sharma, Ms. Pragya Bhushan, Mr. Tarandeep
Singh, Ms. Vilakshana Dayma and Mr. Aditya
Kumar, Advocates for NTA.
Ms. Neha Rastogi, Sr. Panel Counsel with Mr.
Animesh Ratogi and Mr. Rajat Dubey Advocates
for R2 and R3.
Mr. Arjun Mitra, Advocate for JEE (Advance), IIT
Kanpur.
Ms. Aastha Gupta, Govt. Pleader with Mr.Manish
Kapoor, Ms. Kiran Bharti and Ms. Parul Mittal,
Advocates for UOI.
CORAM:
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VIKAS MAHAJAN
ORDER
% 14.05.2025
CM APPL. 28928/2025 (by petitioners for condonation of delay of 03
days in filing electronic records)
1. The present application has been filed by the petitioners seeking
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condonation of delay of 03 days in filing electronic record vide order dated
06.05.2025.
2. For the reasons mentioned in the application, the delay of 03 days is
condoned.
3. The application stands disposed of.
W.P.(C) 5904/2025 and CM APPL. Nos. 26906/2025 (interim relief)
4. Mr. Deepak Jain, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner
at the outset submits that he is not pressing the present petition insofar as
petitioner no. 3 is concerned. Accordingly, the present petition is dismissed
as withdrawn qua petitioner no. 3.
5. The petitioner nos. 1 and 2 herein are the students, who had appeared
in JEE (Mains) 2025. The case set out by the petitioners in the present
petition is that JEE (Main)-2025 had been conducted by the National Testing
Agency (‘NTA’) in two parts i.e. Session I and Session II. The grievance
articulated is that the final score card of the petitioner nos. 1 and 2 in respect
of Session I has been manipulated.
6. It is the case of petitioner no.1 that the result was declared by the
NTA for Session I on 11.02.2025 and the score card (Annexure P/4) which
she accessed from the NTA’s website at about 17:58:16 on the said date
itself, showed that she has scored 98.6874923 percentile. However, after
she had taken the Session II of JEE (Main) Examination-2025, a composite
result was declared by the NTA, and composite score card (Annexure P/5)
showed that she had scored only 25.5874923 percentile in Session I and
49.8010719 percentile in Session II.
7. It is further the case of petitioner no.1 that she had not only
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downloaded her score card of Session I, but her response sheet (Annexure
P/3) as well, from the website of the respondent no.1/NTA. Thereafter, the
petitioner no.1 claims to have approached the higher authorities at the office
of respondent no.1/NTA and obtained a hard copy of her response sheet
(Annexure P/7) after release of the final composite result. The said response
sheet does not tally with the one downloaded previously.
8. Likewise, the case set out on behalf of the petitioner no.2 is that he
viewed his score card (Annexure P/4) for Session I on 11.02.2025 at
20:17:39 and the same was downloaded on 12.02.2025 at 06:07 am. A
perusal of the said score card shows that the petitioner has scored
94.8107035 percentile, however, the composite score card (Annexure P/5)
shows that the petitioner has only scored 80.4107035 percentile in Session I.
9. Further, the petitioner no.2 has also alleged irregularity with regard to
his attempt in Session II as well, wherein after completion of the
examination, a pop-up message appeared indicating the attempted and un-
attempted questions of the petitioner no.2. However, when the response
sheet was downloaded by him for Session II from the website of respondent
no.1/NTA, he discovered that the number of questions attempted were
switched with the number of un-attempted questions as shown in the pop-up
message.
10. Mr. Jain contends that petitioner no.1’s downloaded score card for
Session I, as well as the response sheet for the same Session, are available in
her laptop in unedited form. Similarly, petitioner no.2’s downloaded score
card of Session I and composite score card, are available in two separate
laptops. He submits that the petitioners have brought their laptops in the
Court today.
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11. He further submits that, pursuant to the directions given by this Court
vide order dated 06.05.2025, petitioners have also placed on record the pen
drive in a sealed cover which as per application being CM APPL.
28929/2025 contains the following electronic contents:
Electronic contents submitted by petitioner no.1
i) Browser history/logs records access, and download of the
Score Card for Session 1 on 11.02.2025.
ii) Browser history/ logs records, screenshots access and
download of the Score Card for Session 2 on 18.04.2025.
iii) File properties including Date, Time and metadata of the
download of the Response Sheet for Session 1 on 04.02.2025.
iv) Screenshot of file properties including Date, Time and
metadata of the Scorecard for Session 1, downloaded on
11.02.2025.
v) File Properties including Date, Time and metadata of the
Scorecard for Session 2, downloaded on 18.04.2025.
vi) Browser Path of Browsing history downloaded “forever”,
i.e., default last 90 days.
Electronic contents submitted by petitioner no.2
i) Browser logs record download of Session 1 Scorecard on
11.02.2025.
ii) Browser logs of the father of the Petitioner No. 2 showing
access to the Session 2 scorecard.
iii) Screenshot of file properties/metadata including Date,
Time of the Scorecards of both Session 1 (in student’s laptop)
and Session 2 (in student’s father’s laptop).
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iv) Browser Path of Browsing history downloaded “forever”,
i.e., default last 90 days.
12. The contention of Mr. Jain is that the score cards of the petitioners
have been manipulated as the score cards of Session I which were
downloaded by petitioners initially are no more available on the website of
NTA, instead the allegedly manipulated score cards with incorrect scores
have been uploaded.
13. Mr. Rupesh Kumar, learned Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of
respondent no.1/NTA submits that there is no manipulation in the score
card. In fact, the score cards were also sent through e-mails to both the
petitioners. He further contends that it is the respondent no.2/NIC which
uploads the score cards. Further, NIC has certified that there is no
manipulation in the score cards as well as the response sheets. He further
places reliance on the audit logs, a copy of which has been placed on record
along with the counter-affidavit. The respondent no.1/NTA has also handed
over a pen drive in terms of the order dated 06.05.2025 in as sealed cover,
the said pen drive is also taken on record.
14. Be that as it may, both the parties are ad idem that to find out the truth
of the matter, it is imperative to refer the matter to the experts. Accordingly,
the matter is referred to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL),
CBI, Kendriya Karyalaya Parisar, CGO Complex, 4th Floor, Block No.4,
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 for the purpose of ascertaining the
following:
i. Whether the original score cards and the response sheet relied
upon by the petitioners, which were downloaded by them on their
respective systems (laptops), were so downloaded from the official
website of the NTA?
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ii. Are there any traces of tampering (like metadata alterations, edits
or inconsistencies in timestamps, author, source etc.) in the digital
documents after the same were downloaded in the aforementioned
laptops?
iii. Whether the e-mail containing the score cards of the candidates
stated to be forwarded by the NTA on 12.02.2025 and 13.02.2025
after declaration of results of JEE (Main) Session I, 2025 were
received and accessed by the candidates from their registered e-
mail addresses?
iv. Any other information/inputs that is useful to decide the
controversy articulated above?
15. The details of three laptops which were used for accessing the
disputed score cards and the response sheet are as under:
Details Laptop of Petitioner Laptop of Petitioner Laptop of father of
no.1 no.2 Petitioner no.2
Device Anusha DESKTOP-7047UDC 1BC1SL2
name
Device ID F25D35B1-84D8- EBF41653-6F1F-453D- DECD8D20-1D7E-
4447-B27F- BCE7-221C2B2FDB13 4E34-BA6B-
56921226201C EB70E6C3E76F
Make DELL DELL DELL
Colour BLACK BLACK SILVER
16. The aforesaid three laptops will be handed over by the petitioners to
the Court Master at 4.30 p.m. today for being sealed, in their presence.
17. The Registry is directed to forward the three sealed laptops to CFSL,
New Delhi alongwith hard copies of the following annexures as mentioned
in the table below:
S.No. Annexure Number Details
1. Annexure P/3 Original response sheet downloaded by petitioner
no.1.
2. Annexure P/4 Original score cards downloaded by the petitioners.
3. Annexure P/5 Composite score cards downloaded by the
petitioners.
4. Annexure P/7 Copy of physical response sheet received by
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petitioner no.1 from the office of NTA.
5. Annexure R-1/1 Documents relied upon by NTA pertaining to
petitioner no.1 including score cards, response
sheets, e-mail dated 13.02.2025 and the logs.
6. Annexure R-1/2 Documents relied upon by NTA pertaining to
petitioner no.2 including score cards, response
sheets, e-mail dated 12.02.2025 and the logs.
18. The NTA has placed reliance on hard copies of the audit logs as well
as on the score card and the response sheets pertaining to the petitioners,
claiming the same to be the genuine one. Let NTA furnish soft copies of
these documents in pen drive to the Registry for forensic analysis, within
two days, to enable the CFSL to answer the queries formulated in para 14
above.
19. The petitioners are directed to furnish their respective registered e-
mail IDs to the Registry for verification by the CFSL. Likewise, the
petitioners will also furnish their mobile numbers to the Registry. Let this
be done within two days.
20. The Registry will send all the documents/details mentioned in para 18
and 19 to CFSL, alongwith those mentioned in para 11 (pen drive given by
the petitioners), and para 17 read with para 15 above, after sealing the same
in a packet. The parties and their learned counsel are requested to co-
ordinate with the Registry.
21. In case the CFSL, New Delhi requires any material, information or
assistance, it may contact the petitioners on their mobile numbers.
22. The Director, CFSL, New Delhi is requested to expedite the
investigation and furnish a report in a sealed cover on or before 22.05.2025
in view of the urgency, since the result of JEE (Advanced)-2025 will be
declared on 02.06.2025. Needless to say, that any finding, or information
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received during the period of investigation, shall not be disclosed by the
CFSL, New Delhi to any of the parties as the same might be of sensitive
nature.
23. It is not in dispute that the petitioner no.2 is eligible for JEE
(Advanced) on the basis of the percentile in the disputed score card
(Annexure P/4). The last date for making an application for JEE
(Advanced) was 02.05.2025, however, considering the peculiar facts and
circumstances noted hereinabove, petitioner is permitted to register his
application for JEE (Advanced). Respondent no.4/JEE (Advanced) is
requested to process the said application.
24. Mr. Arjun Mitra, learned counsel appearing on behalf of respondent
no.4/JEE (Advanced) is also requested to ensure the smooth processing of
petitioner no.2’s application for JEE (Advanced) Examination.
25. In case of any necessity, the learned counsel appearing on behalf of
petitioner no.2 is at liberty to contact Mr. Mitra and follow up the matter
with him.
26. It is clarified that the interim directions given hereinabove shall be
subject to the outcome of the present writ petition and the same shall not
create any special equities in favour of petitioner no.2. It is further directed
that the result of petitioner no.2 in JEE (Advanced) will not be declared and
the same will be placed before this Court in a sealed cover.
27. Insofar as petitioner no.1 is concerned, similar interim directions are
not warranted as she has not secured 75% marks in the qualifying
examination i.e. the Senior Secondary Level.
28. List on 23.05.2025 in supplementary list.
29. A copy of this order be given dasti under the signatures of the Court
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Master.
CM APPL. 28929/2025 (by petitioners seeking to place on record
electronic documents)
30. The application is allowed and the electronic record is taken on
record.
31. The present application stands disposed of.
VIKAS MAHAJAN, J
MAY 14, 2025/jg
This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.
The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 18/05/2025 at 10:05:18
