: Expressing its displeasure over the CBI’s decision not to arraign an IPS officer (retired) as an accused in a decade-old police recruitment question paper leak case, the Madras High Court has quashed the charge-sheet filed by the central agency in the case.
“Though there were very strong allegations made against T. Radhakrishnan, IPS, and others, they have been left out from the prosecution,” pointed out Justice S. Nagamuthu, who set aside the charges framed against five other policemen.
The case pertains to the twin leak of a question paper for an examination conducted to select constables on March 27, 2005. Following the leak, the State government had cancelled the examination and a re-examination was conducted on June 1, 2005. But that question paper too was leaked. The government initially ordered a probe by the CB-CID, but later the case was transferred to CBI as the involvement of some senior police officers was suspected.
Recently, concluding the investigation in the case, the CBI filed its charge sheet before a Special Court in which the name of former IPS officer Radhakrishnan and others were omitted. But five policemen were arraigned in the case. Subsequently the CBI court had dismissed a plea from the accused seeking to discharge them from the case.
Assailing the order, the accused approached the High Court. When their plea came up for hearing, Justice Nagamuthu sought to know from the CBI whether the agency intended to conduct further investigation.
In reply, the agency’s prosecutor said, “At this length of time, it would not be possible to collect any further materials and doing further investigation in this matter would be only a wasteful exercise.” Recording the submission of the central agency, Justice Nagamuthu said he was not inclined to order further investigation, and that the charges framed against the five police personnel would be quashed.
Allegations were made against the officer, but the CBI let him off the hook, says court
