Tampering with birth certificate: Pre-arrest bail of GMC Jammu principal rejected

Special Judge Anti-Corruption Court, Tahir Khurshid Raina on Monday refused to extend anticipatory bail application of principal and dean of government medical college Jammu, Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma in a case pertaining to tampering with her birth certificate to get undue favours.

After hearing counsels of Dr Sharma and the prosecution, the Special Judge Anti Corruption observed that Dr Sharma had tampered with her birth certificates and had managed two birth certificates, one to seek admission in MBBS Course and another used for service records.

“When seen in context of facts, I don’t find any justification left to this court to sustain the plea of pre-arrest bail to be granted to the accused. Consequently, the interim bail, granted on July 6 is not being extended further,” stated the judge in his order.

The judge further stated, “The instant anticipatory bail application is accordingly dismissed. The CD file is returned to the investigating officer in the open court and he is directed proceed in the case in accordance with the law governing the field”.

On July 6, amid raids by crime branch sleuths at the office and residence of Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma, an anti corruption court had granted interim bail to her till July 8. Dr Sharma has been booked by the crime branch for allegedly tampering her birth certificate to get undue advantage at the time of her admission in MBBS course.

In the complaint filed by one Manu Gupta, a property dealer in Channi Himmat before the crime branch, it was alleged that Dr Sharma had tampered with her date of birth to get admission in MBBS course in GMC Jammu. Acting upon the complaint, an investigation was initiate by the crime branch and it was found that Dr Sharma was in possession of two date of birth certificates—one having April 8, 1964 and another April 8, 1965 as her dates of birth.

On July 4, the crime branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police had booked Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma. It was submitted in the complaint that Dr Sharma was under-aged for getting admission in MBBS course. “As per the guidelines of Medical Council of India (MCI), she was not eligible for admission into the MBBS course at the relevant time and in connivance with the then officers/officials of the J&K Board of School Education committed the offence of forgery and used forged documents as genuine, thereby causing wrongful gain to herself and corresponding wrongful loss to the state exchequer,” the complainant had submitted in his complaint.

Accordingly, a case was registered against Dr Sharma under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B RPC read with 5(1) (d) Prevention of Corruption Act 2006 at the police station economic offences wing (EOW) of crime branch, Jammu.