HC reserves order on CBI probe plea in IPS officer exam matter

The Bombay High Court today reserved its order on a plea by a former vice principal of Siddharth Law College demanding CBI probe into the alleged malpractice due to which IPS officer K L Bishnoi cleared his LLB examination without appearing for practicals.
Chitra Salunkhe alleged that the report filed by the then Maharashtra DGP K Subramaniam, who had conducted an inquiry against seven senior police officers, including ATS chief Rakesh Maria, for allegedly shielding Bishnoi was an "eyewash".
She demanded investigation by CBI, saying that inquiry by an independent agency would serve the ends of justice.
"We cannot expect a fair probe by the police against their own colleague. If not CBI then the probe should be handed over to the state CID," Salunkhe's advocate Manjula Rao argued.

To this, division bench of justices S C Dharmadhikari and S B Shukre quipped that even the CBI draws its local staff of officials from police. After hearing arguments, the bench reserved order until August 7.
The report had been filed by the DGP last year after the high court, while hearing Salunkhe's petition, had ordered a probe into the role of seven IPS officers in "shielding" Bishnoi.

The petitioner alleged that the officers "shielded" Bishnoi, a 1985 batch IPS officer accused of clearing the final year LLB examination with the help of the then acting principal I A Inamdar without appearing for the practical examination held on March 12, 2005.

Bishnoi was then working with Economic Offences Wing.
On Salunkhe's complaint against the duo, the seven IPS officers had conducted an inquiry into the matter. Salunkhe later approached the high court seeking action against the senior cops alleging that they submitted "false" reports.