A day after they arrested him, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is seeking minute-by-minute updates from Delhi Police pertaining to “ongoing investigations, the activities and behaviour” of former Law Minister Jitendra Singh Tomar while in the latter’s custody.
A senior police officer told The Hindu that the MHA had insisted on the arrangement immediately after being informed about the decision of a city court that sent the Tri Nagar legislator to four days police remand on Tuesday evening.
Meanwhile, according to a source, information had emerged on Wednesday about the existence of a Northwest Delhi coaching centre that “Mr. Tomar had used as a front for the operation of a nationwide degree and certificate scam for close to a decade”.
“The police team, which is currently taking him to different cities where he claims of having attended graduation and post-graduation courses, is required to send updates as it happens to the South District who, in turn, informs a special commissioner, then its sent to the Police Commissioner before its reaches the MHA,” said an official.
“While an action taken report pertaining to Mr. Tomar’s arrest was the only document officially filed by Delhi Police in the case, these daily reports will form a significant chunk of the charge sheet against the former Law Minister,” the official added.
As reported by The Hindu on Wednesday, Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi said investigation would equally revolve around unearthing the existence of an organised racket that Mr. Tomar might have tapped into to procure the allegedly fake academic degrees in his possession.
Mr. Tomar’s connection with one such racket, an official said, had emerged in respect to the Universal Coaching Centre being operated by him in Shakur Basti, located near his residence.
“Not only are we certain that the degrees presented by him are fake, we also have reason to believe that Mr. Tomar used to play a significant role in making such documents available to others. This is being probed,” the official said.
Having been taken to Lucknow by train on Wednesday morning, Mr. Tomar was taken to Faizabad on Wednesday and will be escorted to Bhagalpur on Thursday.
