Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 9: A local court today reserved the judgment on bail plea of Mushtaq Ahmad Peer, the former chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Exams (JKBOPEE), who is the main accused in the Common Entrance Test- 2012 scam.
The Anti-Corruption Judge Srinagar, Mohan Lal Manhas, reserved judgement till December 17 on the bail plea of Peer who was arrested by Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police last month.
The Public Prosecutor of the Crime Branch told the Court that the Investigating Agency has the jurisdiction to investigate the case under SRO 202 under Section 156 CrPC after Peer’s counsel challenged the agency’s jurisdiction. He further argued that the CB can investigate all the cognizable offenses done by a public servant.
The counsel for Peer, Farooq Kathwari, argued that arrest of Peer by the CB is illegal as the agency has no jurisdiction to arrest him. Kathwari argued for Peer’s release.
The Crime Branch counsel while arguing for rejection of Peer’s bail said that accused being influential person would, if released on bail, try to win over the prosecution witnesses and would also hamper the investigations of the case.
The Crime Branch also expressed apprehensions that Peer will destroy the evidence and win over the witnesses if he gets bail as he is influential person.
The Crime Branch told the court that Peer has sold the question papers of the CET-2012 for huge amounts of money to one Farooq Ahmad Itoo who inturn sold it to brokers and candidates who appeared entrance and got selected in the MBBS course.
Earlier Crime Branch argued that Peer is involved in heinous crime and should have special ground for bail which he has not presented.
Peer is presently lodged in Central Jail Srinagar after the court sent him to 10 days judicial remand. Court in its judgement said that Crime Branch has not completed its investigations into the case yet.
It may be mentioned here that last week court reserved judgment on the bail plea of Sajjad Ahmad Bhat till December 10. Sajjad is one of the brokers who has allegedly sold the question papers of CET-2012 to several candidates who were selected for the MBBS course in 2012.
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