TNUSRB ‘fake report’ row: HC to monitor investigation

Justice S M Subramaniam, on perusing the report submitted by the Chennai city Police Commissioner (CoP) on the investigations done so far said, “In view of the fact that the court has now decided to monitor the investigation by the TNUSRB chairman as well as the investigations led by the CoP, this court is inclined to grant time and accordingly the registry is directed to list the manner for filing further report by all concerned on September 06, 2019.”

The judge also refused to drop the contempt proceedings against TNUSRB member secretary N K Senthamarai Kannan. He also directed the registry to preserve the report of the CoP as well as the report of the TNUSRB chairman under the safe custody of the Registrar (Judicial) of the High Court.

The case pertains to TNUSRB submitting a fake report when the Ministry of Home Affairs had sought for an expert opinion from an IIT professor to decide on a case moved by a candidate challenging his rejection despite offering a right answer to a question.

Earlier, while the police commissioner sought further time to get appropriate report from the Forensic Department to get along with further investigation and file a final report, the TNUSRB chairman submitted a report about the action taken against officials who had erred.

Meanwhile, the counsel appearing on behalf of psychologist G V Kumar, who was reportedly behind getting Murthy (62) to impersonate as a retired IIT professor, said certain documents were created by police by obtaining signatures in blank papers from Kumar and that the officials put anti-date and filled the blank papers to suit their convenience.

“In fact, Kumar was not at all in Chennai on that particular day and he had attended a programme at Udhagamandalam,” the counsel said, while producing documents for the same.

Based on this, Justice Subramaniam, while directing the CoP to conduct a proper investigation in this regard, directed him to interrogate the higher officials including the member secretary. He also made it clear that no leniency or misplaced sympathy shall be shown in respect of all the persons concerned in the matter of investigation irrespective of their cadre, post or status.

All persons concerned must be examined, investigated and interrogated, wherever necessary for digging out the truth behind the incidents as well as the queries raised in the suo motu contempt proceedings, Justice Subramaniam added.