SC dismisses petition seeking SIT probe into medical college admission scam

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed lawyer Kamini Jaiswal's petition seeking SIT probe into the medical college admission scam case.

The matter pertains to a medical college bribery scam against IM Quddusi (retired Orissa High Court judge) who was arrested among others, by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Quddusi allegedly used his influence to help Uttar Pradesh-based Prasad Education Trust in "settling" a matter involving their plea to set up medical colleges pending in the Supreme Court.

The Trust owned one of the 46 medical colleges barred by the central government from admitting students.

The accused were subsequently granted bail, but the same was not challenged by the CBI.

Following granting of the bail, advocate Kamini Jaiswal had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court seeking the constitution of an SIT to investigate the allegations, with a retired judge monitoring the same.

Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR) had also filed a similar petition.

Last week a Supreme Court bench, consisting of Justices J Chelameshwar and Abdul Nazeer, referred the PIL to a five-judge bench, scheduled to conduct a hearing on November 12.

However, the next day, another Supreme Court bench comprising the current Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra pronounced the order by Justice J Chelameswar null and void.

The lawyer representing CJAR, Prashant Bhushan said the CJI had a conflict of interest in the matter as the FIR effectively sought an investigation into his role also.

The much publicised court proceeding was even termed as a black day in the history of the Supreme Court.

-ANI