Court rejects bail applications of Singhi Ram,daughter, Rahi

Shimla, Mar 31 (UNI) A local court here in Himachal Pradesh today rejected bail applications of former minister Singhi Ram, her daughter, Upma, and HP Board of School Education's (HPBSE) former chairman B R Rahi, who are facing charges of forgery and cheating.

District and Session Judge R L Rahu refused to grant bail to all three in the case after the counsel for police sought their remand for ''custodial interrogation''.

The counsel said interrogation of Board's former under secretary, Surinder Malhotra, had revealed that he had issued a new certificate to Ms Upma under pressure from the former minister and the board's chairman.

The two had directed him to appear before them in a rest house in Naduan where he issued the new certificate to the minister's daughter, the counsel informed the court following which the court refused to extend their bail.

State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau DSP N K Sharma told UNI here that Mr Ram and Mr Rahi were arrested soon after they came out of the court.

He said the two would be produced before the court tomorrow and the police would seek their custody to get to the bottom of the fake certificate scam.

A case under Sections 420, 468, 471 and 120 of the IPC had been registered against the minister for procuring a false school certificate for his daughter for ensuring her admission in New Delhi's Lady Shri Ram College after she had failed in her Class XII examination from Lawrence School, Sanawar.

UNI AS PS MSJ HT1802