Gujarat varsity endorses punishment to IPS officer

Ahmedabad, Jun 10 (UNI) The executive committee of the Gujarat University today endorsed the decision of the Reform Committee, finding IPS officer Rajneesh Rai guilty of copying during the LLB examination.

Consequently, Rai would be declared fail in the first year LLB examination conducted by the Gujarat University in April.

However, seven of the 17 members present in the meeting opposed the decision. The Committee has 27 members.

Rai had challenged the decision of the Committee in the High Court on the ground that he had not been told of the evidence against him.

At that time, the University Counsel took the stand that the decision of the Committee was a recommendation and so the application of Rai was premature.

Rai was heard by the Committee on May 25, which later announced that he would be declared failed in all subjects that he had appeared for during the academic year 2007-08. He had approached the court yesterday. The court had issued notice to Gujarat University.

On April 25, an invigilator at Siddhartha Law College, Gandhinagar found Rai, who was answering the first year LLB paper, copying from the ruler on which he had scribbled something. After that, his answersheet was taken and he was allowed to write again after half an hour.

On April 29, Rai refuted the charge saying it was completely 'baseless' and 'false'. In his defence, he said the scribbling on the ruler was done by his six-year-old son and was totally unconnected with the LLB examination.

Rajneesh Rai, a DIG in the State Crime Records Bureau, Gandhinagar, was recently transferred to the Police Training School, Junagadh. He was instrumental in the arrest of IPS officer D G Vanzara in connection with the fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh.

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