The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to private parties on a batch of pleas filed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) seeking transfer of cases pending against it in various high courts on the NEET-UG row to the top court to avoid multiplicity of litigations.Earlier, a vacation bench had on June 14 issued notices to the parties on similar pleas by the NTA.
The NTA had submitted that several pleas seeking cancellation of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test–Under Graduate (NEET-UG), 2024 over allegations of question paper leak and other malpractices are pending in several high courts.
Advocate Vardhaman Kaushik, appearing for the NTA, urged a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala on Monday that the fresh batch of pleas be also transferred to the apex court as they pertained to the same issue.
“Issue notice and tag,” the bench said, adding that these pleas will also be taken up together with the pending petitions on the NEET-UG row on July 18.
The NTA also urged the bench to stay the pending proceedings in various high courts.
The CJI said once the Supreme Court has issued notices on transfer petitions, the high courts, procedurally, do not proceed with the hearing. The bench asked the NTA counsel to bring this to the notice of the high courts concerned.
The top court was hearing as many as five petitions seeking transfer of cases from various high courts to it.