Register case in PG medical admission scam: HC

Taking a serious note of the probe report that said 113 PG medical seats under management quota in private colleges were filled without conducting counselling in 2019-20 academic year, the Madras High Court directed the Chief Secretary to stop all pension benefits of the then selection committee secretary to make him accountable for the irregularity.

Pointing out that the official could not have done it on his own but would have been assisted by others, the court asked the inquiry officer to register a case to expose the nexus and directed the State police chief not to transfer the officers part of the investigation.

Justice P Dhandapani issued the direction while hearing two pleas moved by Dr Geetanjali and Dr Santhosh Kumar, who claimed that they had qualified for the PG seats but Dr G Selvarajan, the then selection committee secretary, did not conduct the counselling, which shattered their dream.

The CB-CID, which conducted a probe as directed by the court, said in its report submitted in October 2020 that the selection committee secretary was responsible for the matter. But the judge said that though Selvarajan was instrumental, the court was of the view that the nexus does not start or end with him.

“The tentacles of illegality are cast far and wide, as the perpetrator of the crime could not be an isolated individual in the form of the then secretary but [he] would definitely have been aided by other persons in stage-managing it,” Justice Dhandapani said.

Holding that Selvarajan impeded the lives of many aspiring candidates, who have lost their valuable right to get a seat in the PG medical stream due to his “illegal, unreasonable, arbitrary and perverse act”, the court directed the government to pay the petitioners Rs 4 lakh as compensation within four weeks and recover the money from Selvarajan’s pension.

“The government is directed to take appropriate action against Dr Selvarajan in consultation with the Accountant General under Section 12 of the Pension Rules and stop disbursement of pension and other benefits… till the matter is enquired into and the issue is taken to its logical conclusion,” Justice Dhandapani ruled.

The judge directed the investigating officer to register a case against Selvarajan and others, known and unknown, and also asked the State police chief to not transfer the officers who are investigating the case.