Lawyer deceived me, says approver in Nagur Univ marks scam case

Nagpur, July 16 (UNI) A woman, who has turned approver in a case related to the fake mark lists scam of Nagpur University (NU), told the trial court today that a practising lawyer had deceived her when he secured admission for her in a local private law college nine years ago.

The approver, Usha Sanjay Ghate nee Usha Janbaji Marotkar, told Special Judge A S Gattani, who is hearing a bunch of cases pertaining to the revaluation scam and fake mark lists and degrees scandal that rocked the university several years ago, that Advocate Milind Ganar had deceived her while securing her admission purportedly against management quota.

''I had scored 530 out of 1,300 marks at the Bachelor of Arts (BA) examination, aggregating 41 per cent. I had applied to three colleges but did not get admission in any as my score was below the minimum required,'' Ms Ghate said during her deposition.

''A nephew of mine introduced me to Babarao Phophate, a law book seller, who, in turn, introduced me to a lawyer, Adv Dnyaneshwar Fule. Phophate and Fule told me they knew Adv Ganar, whose father, W K Ganar (since expired), was a member of the managing council of a private college,'' she said.

Adv Fule asked for Rs 15,000 to secure admission, which she paid, she said. Later, she got admission to first year of the LLB course at the college, Ms Ghate said.

A few days after she submitted her examination form, the college authorities summoned her to point out the discrepancy in her record of marks, she said.

''The photocopy of my mark list attached to the admission form showed my score as 812 out of 1,300, whereas the one with my examination form showed the correct tally - 530. I told the college authorities the photocopy with the admission form was not of my mark list, although it bore my name and had been attested,'' she said.

She was told to apprise the person who had secured her admission, so she met Adv Ganar, who asked her to stay mum and assured her everything would be all right, Ms Ghate said.

A few days later, she went to him again after she received the letter from the university.

''Adv Ganar again told me to stay quiet, and reiterated that he would take care of things. It was at that moment I realised he had deceived me,'' the approver told the court.

Although she passed her BA examination in 1989, she applied for law only in 1998 as she got married and bore two children in the interim, she testified.

The university authorities later lodged a complaint with the police in connection with the matter.

Ms Ghate, Adv Ganar and an employee of the college were named as the accused when the charge sheet was filed. Adv Ganar was a member of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for one term. Ms Ghate was declared approver by the court last week after she applied for pardon and offered to testify.

UNI