CBI files charge sheet in case involving ex-High Court judge

Former judge IM Quddusi was arrested along with others in September 2017 for allegedly conspiring to settle a MCI (Medical Council of India) debarment order against a Lucknow based private medical college.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has finished its probe into one of the most controversial cases related to judicial corruption, and filed a charge sheet in the Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences debarring case involving former Odisha high court judge, I M Quddusi.

A top official in CBI confirmed that the charge sheet has been filed in a Delhi court recently, although the agency officially refused to share details of those it has named as accused. ()(HT file photo)

The former judge was arrested along with others in September 2017 for allegedly conspiring to settle a MCI (Medical Council of India) debarment order against the Lucknow based private medical college.

A top official in CBI confirmed that the charge sheet has been filed in a Delhi court recently, although the agency officially refused to share details of those it has named as accused.

The charge sheet was filed on Tuesday in the court of Special CBI Judge Anil Kumar Sisodia at Rouse Avenue Courts in Delhi and has been put up for consideration on August 2.

Quddusi’s lawyer Vijay Aggarwal, who moved applications in the court for speeding up the investigations said that “the case is not likely to survive judicial scrutiny”.

In September 2017, Quddusi was booked under Section 8 (taking gratification in order to influence public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and criminal conspiracy along with Bhawana Pandey, Bhubaneswar based middleman Biswanatha Agrawala, Sudhir Giri, and BP Yadav and Palash Yadav of Prasad Institute.

According to the CBI FIR and the preliminary enquiry in the case, Prasad Institute was among 46 colleges which were barred in June 2017 by the government from admitting medical students for the forthcoming one or two years because of substandard facilities and non-fulfilment of the required criteria.

Yadavs challenged the debarment in the apex court.

The apex court, on August 1, 2017, directed the government to consider the materials on record afresh.

Following the order, the government heard the college and passed a decision on August 10, 2017 to debar the college from admitting fresh students for the two years – 2017-18 and 2018-19. It also authorised MCI to encash the bank guarantee of Rs 2 crores given by the institute.

CBI’s FIR claims that B P Yadav got in touch with Justice (retd) I M Quddusi and Bhawana Pandey through Giri of Venkateshwara Medical College in Meerut and plotted to settle the matter.

“Information further revealed that on the advice of I M Quddisi, the petition was withdrawn from the apex court on August 15, 2017 and a petition was filed in the Allahabad High Court,” the agency’s FIR added.

The Allahabad HC passed an order directing that the petitioners’ college shall not be delisted from the list of colleges notified for counselling till August 31, 2017. It also stayed the encashment of bank guarantees till that date.

The HC order was challenged by the MCI through a Special Leave Petition.

According to CBI, BP Yadav again approached I M Quddusi and Bhawana Pandey who assured him that they could settle the matter in the apex court. They further engaged Agrawala for the settlement, the agency said.

During its probe, CBI recovered cash of over Rs 1 crore.