Congress rally not behind NEET delay, says Bengaluru police; cites CCTV findings

The Bengaluru Traffic Police on Tuesday said the Congress rally was not responsible for the late arrival of a NEET aspirant who missed her exam in the city on June 21.Police said CCTV footage, route analysis and interactions with the candidate and her parents showed that she reached the exam center after the stipulated time due to a late departure from home and the route she chose.According to the police, the candidate left her residence in RT Nagar at 12.57 pm. The cut-off time for entering the exam center was 1:30 p.m. He arrived at the exam center area at 1.33pm, three minutes after the deadline.“CCTV footage and route analysis confirm that the candidate left just 33 minutes before the set cut-off time,” police said.The verification also said the student traveled by a longer route even though a shorter option was available. “The analysis indicates that the candidate traveled by a longer route, despite the availability of a shorter route that could have allowed him to travel faster,” police noted.In addition, police said that traffic conditions along the route were generally normal and there was no major congestion linked to the public event. Traffic personnel were seen deployed on the route helping the candidate to move wherever needed.“Based on CCTV footage, interaction with the candidate and parents and route analysis, the available evidence does not indicate that traffic congestion caused by the public event caused the delay,” the statement said.He added that the late arrival was mainly due to the fact that the candidate left home just 33 minutes before the cut-off time and chose a longer travel route.The clarification came after several parents claimed that traffic diversions and congestion caused by a Congress rally had delayed students on their way to exam centres. Outside an exam center in Bengaluru, some students who arrived after the gates were closed were denied entry, prompting protests from parents.Following this, the BJP accused the Congress government in Karnataka of not giving priority to students. The state government responded by pointing out that students had also failed exams in other states and criticized the BJP over the paper leak controversies.