Fake degree: HC ends civil writ against Tomar

NEW DELHI: In a partial relief to former law minister Jitender Singh Tomar, Delhi high court on Thursday ended civil proceedings against him for enrolling as an advocate on the basis of an alleged fake graduation degree.
Justice Indermeet Kaur disposed of the petition on the ground that Delhi Police has registered an FIR and is investigating the matter. “In view of the action taken by Delhi Police and other authorities, there is no point in keeping the writ petition pending,” the court said.The court allowed Tomar to transfer his inquiry related to his degree to Bar Council of India (BCI), on whose complaint Delhi Police had lodged the FIR. Due to the plea filed in HC days before Tomar’s election as an MLA in February last year, the lawmaker was forced to resign.
Petitioner Santosh Sharma had alleged in the plea that Tomar submitted a “fake and bogus” undergraduate degree in science from Avadh University to get enrolled in Bishwanath Singh Institute of Legal Studies College, Munger (Bihar) to study LLB. He was enrolled as a lawyer by Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) on the basis of a law degree from this college. Taking note of the plea, the high court had asked BCD to complete the inquiry as soon as possible.
The FIR was registered against Tomar in June, 2015 under alleged offences of cheating, forgery, using forged documents, forgery with intent to cheat and criminal conspiracy.