E-Paper
Birth certificate tweaking: Former principal of Jammu GMC gets bail
While hearing the bail application, Justice Vinod Chatterji Koul observed that “Prima facie no case of cheating is made out against the petitioner because her date of birth certificate was rectified by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education after following due process of law”
The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh high court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma, the former principal of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Jammu, who allegedly tampered with her date of birth certificate.
She was recently shifted from the post of principal GMC and shifted as secretary technical in the health and medical education department.
While hearing the bail application, Justice Vinod Chatterji Koul observed that “Prima facie no case of cheating is made out against the petitioner because her date of birth certificate was rectified by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education after following due process of law.”
The court further observed that the documents required in the crime branch investigation have already been seized by the investigating agency.
“The fact that the petitioner is in government service is also to be taken into consideration. Further, there is no likelihood of her absconding from the trial. Respondent (crime branch) has nowhere stated that the petitioner is hiding and is not cooperating in the investigation of the case”, observed the court.
The petitioner has already appeared before the investigating agency and has participated in the investigation.
“The investigating officer has collected all relevant documents. As such, it does not appear that custodial inquiry of the petitioner is mandatory. Hence the anticipatory bail is being given to the petitioner,” observed the court.
On July 4, the crime branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police booked Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma for allegedly tampering with her birth certificate to get an undue advantage for getting admission to the MBBS course at GMCH.
Acting upon a written complaint filed by one Manu Gupta, the crime branch conducted a preliminary investigation and found that the incumbent principal and dean had two birth certificates of April 8, 1964, and April 8, 1965.
It was submitted in the complaint that Dr Sharma was under-aged for getting admission to the MBBS course.
Accordingly, a case was registered against Dr Sharma under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B RPC read with 5(1) (d) Prevention of Corruption Act 2006 at the police station economic offences wing (EOW) of crime branch, Jammu.
