Fake degree case: Police custody of Jitender Singh Tomar extended by 4 days

New Delhi, Jun 15: A court here today extended by four more days the police custody of ex-Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar after investigators said he needs to be taken to Bundelkhand University to ascertain facts about his allegedly "fabricated" migration certificate.

49-year-old Tomar, arrested in a fake degree case on June 9, was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Preeti Parewa after expiry of his two-day police remand and the police sought extension of his remand by eight more days saying he was also needed to be taken to Munger, Bihar, to verify his address mentioned in the migration certificate of Bundelkhand University.

The police claimed that every time they visit a new place, "new documents" surface so they need to tally specimen as well as admitted signatures of Tomar and the university officials on the educational certificates.

Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Atul Shrivastava said that last two days of the police custody were second Saturday and Sunday and it not did serve any purpose during their probe as the colleges were closed.

"We have to take him (Tomar) to Bundelkhand University, the place which we have not visited yet, as the fabricated migration certificate of BSc was issued from that university and it was submitted to Tilka Manjhi University, Bhagalpur, from where Tomar had alleged pursued his LLB degree," he said.

"The migration certificate of BSc issued by Bundelkhand University was of the year 2001 while Tomar had allegedly done his LLB first year in 1995. We need to ascertain this fact and requires his presence over there during the investigation," Shrivastava said, adding, "Tomar needs to be confronted with the teachers and his batch mates."

Meanwhile, advocate Rajiv Khosla, who appeared for Tomar, opposed the police's plea saying the very arrest of his client was "illegal" and cops have "mislead" the court in taking six days of police remand till now.

Khosla alleged that Bundelkhand University's migration certificate was a "fabricated document" planted by the police.

"They (police) are seeking police remand just to satisfy the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, the Centre and senior police officials. They want police remand to harass Tomar," he said.

PTI