NEET aspirant reached exam centre late due to delayed departure, not traffic: Bengaluru Police
Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Traffic Police on Tuesday issued a clarification regarding allegations that a National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) candidate missed the examination due to traffic disruptions caused by a Congress rally held in the city on Sunday.
The clarification is likely to further intensify the debate over the issue. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S) leaders have attacked the Congress government, citing the example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who reportedly remained at the airport in Delhi to facilitate the movement of students to their NEET examination centres. They contrasted this with the Congress rally in Bengaluru, alleging that it caused inconvenience to students appearing for the examination.
In an official statement shared by the office of Home Minister Priyank Kharge, the traffic police said a detailed review of CCTV footage and route verification had established that the candidate reached the examination centre after the stipulated reporting deadline.
According to the police, traffic conditions on the day of the examination were normal, and adequate arrangements had been made to facilitate vehicle movement in areas affected by the rally.
“CCTV analysis and route verification have established that the NEET candidate reached the examination centre after the stipulated cut-off time. Traffic conditions were found to be normal, and traffic police personnel facilitated movement wherever required,” the statement said.
The police further clarified that the delay was primarily due to the candidate’s late departure from home and the route chosen to reach the examination centre, rather than traffic congestion linked to the Congress rally.
The clarification comes amid allegations circulating on social media and in sections of the public that traffic restrictions imposed for the rally had prevented some students from reaching their examination centres on time.
Traffic police reiterated that necessary measures had been put in place to ensure smooth vehicular movement and minimise inconvenience to commuters during the event.
The statement was issued along with a poster that said the clarification was based on CCTV footage and interactions with the three candidates and their parents. The poster also gave a route analysis of the third candidate.
It said: “The candidate departed from residence at R.T. Nagar at 12.57 pm, the prescribed cut-off time for entry into the examination centre is at 1.30 pm. The candidate reached the examination centre area after the cut-off time at 1.33 pm.”
The stated findings listed out said, “CCTV footage and route analysis confirm that the candidate departed only 33 minutes before the prescribed cut-off time. Analysis indicates that the candidate took a longer route despite a shorter one being available, which could have enabled quicker travel. Traffic conditions on the day were generally normal, with no significant congestion attributed to the public event.”
Traffic police personnel deployed on the route were seen facilitating the candidate’s movements wherever required, the statement said.
The conclusion of the statement said, “Based on the CCTV footage, interaction with the parent, and route analysis, the available evidence does not indicate that traffic congestion caused by the public event led to the delay. The late arrival was primarily attributed to departing from the residence only 33 minutes before the cut-off time and to selecting a longer travel route. The delay was not caused by traffic congestion arising from the public event.”