Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 16: Special Judge Anticorruption Jammu, Sanjay Dhar today rejected the bail application of Munish Suri, promoter and sole trustee of Calliope ETT College, Kathua and Sudarshan Kumar Gupta, Chairman of Vivekanand Institute of Education, Training and Research, Lakhanpur, who are allegedly involved in ETT scam.
According to the Crime Branch, case under Sections 420, 468, 471, 120-B/RPC and Section 5(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act was registered after an enquiry conducted by Joint Secretary of J&K Board of School Education (BOSE), revealed that Elementary Teachers Training Course conducted by ETT Institutes in the State was a huge scandal where money in hundreds of crores had exchanged hands as bribe and almost all persons were involved in the loot.
After hearing battery of lawyers appearing for the petitioners whereas CPO Rajesh Bakshi appearing for the Crime Branch, Special Judge Anticorruption observed, “a perusal of the case diary reveals that investigation of the case is at its inception. Although FIR in this case has been registered in the year 2013 but it appears that investigating agency had done precious little until High Court, vide its various orders, nudged the investigation agency to take action”.
“As per order dated July 9, 2015 passed by High Court in PIL, the investigating agency has been asked to investigate the case from yet another point. According to court, investigation agency has to ascertain the wealth acquired by owners of the institutes by indulging in illegal activities and thereafter take a decision about the fate of the property”, Special Judge Anticorruption said, adding “this aspect of the case, it appears, is yet to be investigated. The concession of bail if extended to petitioners at this stage is certainly going to hamper the investigation on this aspect of the case”.
“The prayer for grant of bail to petitioners, therefore, appears to be premature”, the court said, adding “if accused/petitioners are admitted to bail at this stage, the same will not be in the larger interest of the public. As already noted, owners of a large number of institutes and officers of BOSE appear to be involved neck deep in the case at hand. The magnitude of fraud appears to be colossal in nature”.
With these observations, Special Judge Anticorruption denied bail to the petitioners and extended seven days police remand of the accused.
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