Rajasthan Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully on Friday, 24 July called for the death penalty for masterminds behind examination paper leak rackets, describing such crimes as 'the murder of students' futures.' Speaking in an interview from Jaipur, Jully backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposal to establish fast-track courts for paper leak cases — but insisted those courts must carry the power to award capital punishment.

The Case for Capital Punishment

Jully argued that paper leaks constitute a crime equivalent in severity to taking a life. 'We have seen students unable to bear this trauma take their own lives,' he said, pointing to the case of a student from Sikar in Rajasthan who reportedly could not cope with the shock of a paper leak after two years of preparation for a medical entrance examination. He contended that fast-track courts, as proposed by the Prime Minister, must go further and include the provision for capital punishment for those found guilty of orchestrating such rackets.

NEET and Repeated Leaks: A Pattern of Failure

Jully raised pointed concerns about the NEET controversy, citing what he described as a suspicious pattern in Rajasthan where children from a single family reportedly cleared the examination year after year. He demanded a thorough and impartial investigation into such cases, noting that an accused in a paper leak case from 2024 was given a clean chit as recently as Thursday. 'There were paper leaks in 2024, in 2025 and in 2026 too. This needs to be checked now,' he said. Jully also questioned why the First Information Report (FIR) in the family-linked NEET case was filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and not by Rajasthan Police, calling for that anomaly to be probed. He alleged the family in question has links to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and said strict action remains pending.

Student Protests and Government Response

With student protests against examination irregularities spreading across India and reaching Jaipur, Jully urged governments to choose dialogue over suppression. He criticised instances where protesters were reportedly detained or forcefully dispersed, arguing that in 'Mahatma Gandhi's country, peaceful protests inspired by Gandhian principles should be respected.' He noted that many students have crossed the age limit for recruitment while waiting for examinations and appointments, compounding their frustration.

Accountability at Every Level

Jully rejected the argument that appointing a new Education Secretary signals adequate corrective action. He alleged that the incoming officer has faced corruption allegations, while no charge sheet or suspension was initiated against the outgoing officer. 'Accountability cannot be selective,' he said. He called for transparent appointments, independent investigations and swift completion of pending recruitments — noting that thousands of vacancies remain unfilled in Rajasthan. Notably, Rajasthan already has one of the country's more stringent anti-paper leak laws, providing for punishment ranging from ten years' imprisonment to life imprisonment, along with dismissal of guilty government officials. Jully argued that the law exists; what is missing is consistent implementation and political will.

What Needs to Happen Next

The Rajasthan LoP outlined a multi-pronged path forward: expedite pending recruitments, hold officials accountable irrespective of political affiliation, ensure independent investigations into every suspicious case, and make fast-track courts capable of delivering the most stringent sentences. Whether the Centre moves in that direction — particularly on the NEET family case — will be closely watched by student groups and opposition parties alike.