Considering the age of Udit Surya, a medical student who was arrested in the NEET impersonation case, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday agreed to hear his anticipatory bail plea as his bail application. The CB-CID had secured Surya and his family during the pendency of the petition.
With the plea for anticipatory bail becoming infructuous, Justice G.R. Swaminathan said he will dismiss the petition. However, the petitioner’s counsel requested the judge to treat the plea as a bail petition, as it was during the pendency of the plea that the accused in the case were secured.
Justice Swaminathan observed that he felt pity for Surya, given the situation in which he was embroiled. With the petitioner in custody, the State shall submit before the court during the next hearing whether his continued detention was warranted, the judge said, and posted the case to October 14 for hearing.
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During an earlier hearing, the court had taken a serious view of the impersonation case. It had asked if Surya was willing to surrender before the investigating officer for an inquiry. However, the case was adjourned as the petitioner’s counsel was unable to ascertain the same.
Surya had claimed that he had decided to discontinue the MBBS course in the Theni Government Medical College due to health reasons. He denied the charge that another person had taken NEET and attended the counselling for medical admissions on his behalf.
He was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code following a complaint from the dean of the Theni Government Medical College. Meanwhile, his father V.K. Venkatesan filed a bail application before the Judicial Magistrate, Theni.
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Dean’s admission
The Dharmapuri Government Medical College dean, Srinivasaraj, appeared before CB-CID officers in Theni on Tuesday. According to sources, the dean explained the steps taken by the College administration to verify the certificates of all first-year MBBS students. He admitted that Mohammed Irfan, a medical student, did not turn up for verification and had reportedly vacated the hostel. The officials at the Directorate of Medical Education were informed about the missing student, Dr. Srinivasaraj said.
Irfan’s father Mohammed Shafi, of Vaniyambadi in Vellore district, who was summoned for examination in connection with the NEET impersonation case, appeared before the authorities on Monday. After recording his statements, a senior official of the CB-CID said it will take steps to send Shafi, a practising doctor, to judicial custody.