Karnataka - Bangalore

PGCET-2006: CBI arrests two persons

Staff Reporter

One is an ex-Vijaya Bank employee and the other is a student

BANGALORE: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a middleman and a student in connection with irregularities in the conduct of the postgraduate common entrance test (PGCET-2006) for medical courses.

These are the first arrests made after the investigation agency filed the first information report showing involvement of 30 persons, including Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor P.S. Prabhakaran, in the conduct of the PGCET-2006.

The investigation agency arrested Rajagopal Reddy, a former Vijaya Bank employee and alleged middleman and B. Girish, a student, on Thursday night after they were interrogated and their houses searched.

On Friday, the two were produced before the fourth Additional City and Sessions Court, which is the special court for CBI cases.

CBI Senior Public Prosecutor P. Govindan submitted before the court that the CBI was in the preliminary stage of investigation and it needs to further interrogate the two accused to elicit more facts related to the conduct of the entrance test.

Custody sought

Mr. Govindan filed two applications seeking the custody of the accused till Monday.

Opposing the applications, K. Diwakar, advocate for Reddy, said the CBI has interrogated Reddy a number of times and further interrogation was unwarranted.

His client was neither an RGUHS official nor a parent of any of the students, the counsel contended.

The CBI's inquiry report does not reveal any culpable act of Reddy. Applications were filed to release the accused on bail.

Judge Sudhakar R. Pandit observed that the crime appeared to be a result of network of many individuals and the evidence of it was mainly circumstantial.

The accusation appeared to be well founded and the CBI was justified in seeking the custody, he said.

The judge remanded the accused to the custody of CBI till June 4.

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