Complete CPMT probe in two months: HP High Court

Shimla, Oct 13 (UNI) The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the police investigating team to complete its probe into the HP Combined Pre-Medical Test (HPCPMT) paper leak scam within two months.

The court said it had a feeling that the team was being pressurised to go slow in its investigations after it sought six months time to complete its investigations.

It asked the advocate general whether the police investigating team would be able to complete its work without any pressure or wheather it should assign the task to some other agency.

The change of the agency would, however, not only demoralise the team officers but would also show the state government in a poor light, a division bench of Chief Justice V K Gupta and Justice Deepak Gupta said in their order yesterday.

In his reply to the court, the advocate general said that the state government had extended every possible help to the team, constituted by the court, and was of the opinion that a fair inquiry into the scam was necessary to prevent such incidents in the future.

He also sought two months time from the court to complete its investigations instead of the six month extension sought through an application filed earlier, following which the court sanctioned a two month period to complete its probe.

The court had ordered re-examination of the HPCPMT paper after a three-member police team of OC Thakur, A P Singh and Arvind Negi, in their interim report, submitted that there was definite evidence of a paper leak, which needed detailed investigation.

After going through the interim report, the court ordered the registration of an FIR and a through investigation in the matter.

UNI AS PS PB RK1405