Visakhapatnam: Some students appearing for JEE (Mains) at ION Digital Zone building at Chinamushidiwada, Pendurthi were not able to write the exam as they arrived at the centre a few minutes late.

The parents of the candidates, however, claimed that the delay was due to the convoy of Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan passing via the route at the same time.

In line with it, seven students could not appear for the JEE (Mains) scheduled on April 7. With the videos of parents blaming the delay on Deputy CM’s convoy arrival, the city police shared the facts in a media conference stating that no traffic was blocked at BRTS road and service roads between Gopalapatnam and Pendurthi at any point of time before 8:30 am in order to ensure free movement of the students to the examination centre which is located beside a service road.

As per the exam protocols, candidates have to report at 7 am and the gate of the examination centre closes by 8:30 am. The police said that the convoy of the Deputy CM passed through that junction at 8:41 am and the traffic movement in the area was free flowing till then. Therefore, the city police mentioned that there could not be any reason or link to the late arrival of students to the centre with the Deputy CM’s convoy as they have to report by 7 am.

So far, the number of candidates marked absent, including those who came late, at the centre since the beginning of this examination on April 2 to 7 includes 283.

The Deputy CM was on his way to ASR district to inaugurate key projects there as part of the ‘Adavi Thalli Modhamambha Bata’. He proceeded to the ASR district from Visakhapatnam Airport.

On Tuesday, Pawan Kalyan will visit Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in Visakhapatnam to hold meetings pertaining to eco-tourism initiatives.