Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - Bengaluru police have rejected claims that a Congress rally caused a NEET aspirant to miss the exam, saying the student was late mainly because he left home too close to the cut-off time and took a longer route.

According to the traffic police’s fact-check, CCTV footage and route analysis showed that the candidate from R T Nagar left home at 12.57 pm, just 33 minutes before the 1.30 pm entry deadline, and reached the exam-centre area at 1.33 pm, three minutes after the cut-off. Police said the delay was due to late departure and route choice, not traffic disruption from the rally, and added that officers on duty were seen helping vehicles move wherever needed.

The clarification came after political sparring over a large Congress event in Bengaluru on the exam day, with the BJP blaming the rally for traffic congestion and the state government pushing back. Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge said three students missed the exam for different reasons, including one from Magadi who had no link to the rally and another who arrived with an old hall ticket.

The police fact-check has shifted the focus away from the rally claim and onto the candidate’s late departure and travel route.