Rouse Avenue Court Grants Bail to Gangadhar Gunde Over Mistaken Identity in NEET Paper Case

The Rouse Avenue court granted bail to Gangadhar Gunde, who was mistakenly arrested by the CBI in connection with a NEET paper case in Maharashtra. Gunde was granted bail after furnishing bonds, while the investigation continues to find the actual suspect.

The Rouse Avenue court granted bail on Friday to Gangadhar Gunde, mistakenly arrested by the CBI in a NEET paper case associated with Latur, Maharashtra. His counsel argued in court that Gunde was wrongly arrested due to mistaken identity. Gunde was detained by the CBI on June 26 in Dehradun, following an FIR initially filed by Latur Police at Shivaji Nagar Police Station, later taken over by the CBI.

Special CBI Judge Ankit Singla granted bail to Gunde after hearing arguments from both the CBI and the accused's counsel. Gunde's release required a bail bond of Rs 25,000 and a matching surety bond. Advocate Kailash More, representing Gunde, claimed that his client was wrongfully arrested and was not the individual the CBI was seeking. More revealed that the FIR filed by the CBI concerning the NEET UG 2024 exam involved another person named Gangadhar, whose full name was unstated at the time. The actual suspect, N Gangadhar Appa Nanjuthappa, was later apprehended by the CBI in Bengaluru.

The defense further argued that Gunde's involvement came due to a mistaken identity and interactions with one Sanjay Tukaram Jadhav regarding a separate matrimonial dispute. The CBI's counsel, however, disputed this, arguing that another suspect, Irenna Konagalwar, absconding, could identify the true culprit. The CBI also noted the mobile number originally in question was used by Gunde, solidifying their investigation parameters. Despite these points, the court granted bail, continuing to investigate the confusion surrounding the mistaken identity and the roles of suspects in this case.

(With inputs from agencies.)