MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday granted bail to a 20-year-old medical student, whose arrest last month led to the unravelling of the NEET impersonation scam. The court, however, denied relief to his father, another suspect. Justice GR Swaminathan passed the order while hearing the bail petitions filed by the student and his father, V K Venkatesan.
The judge remarked, “The accused appears to have drawn inspiration from the Tamil movie Vasool Raja MBBS.” He also recalled the CB-CID’s statement that Venkatesan was not cooperating with the investigation and that he was yet to reveal the name of the impersonator engaged by him to write the examination in his son’s stead.Pointing out that the investigation is at a crucial stage and the modus operandi of the accused is yet to be established, the judge stated that the court is not inclined to grant bail to Venkatesan and dismissed his petition.
However, the judge opined, “The student appears to be a ‘victim of his father’s deeds’ who seems to have manipulated and maneuvered the whole offence while the son just played along”. Also considering the age of the petitioner and his future, the judge allowed the bail petition of the student, on condition that he has to appear before the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of CB-CID, Madurai, at 10.30 am every day.
The father-son duo was picked up by the CB-CID from Tirupati on September 25 and subsequently arrested the following day. The scam came to light after the Dean of Government Medical College in Theni received a complaint through mail about the illegality in the student’s admission. Several other students and their parents have been detained by the CB-CID in connection with the scam.
Sexual assault victim gets nod for abortion
Madurai: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court granted permission to an 18-year-old sexual assault victim from Sivaganga to abort her foetus. Allowing a petition filed by the victim, Justice M Govindaraj directed the Dean of Sivaganga Government Medical College Hospital to permit the pregnancy termination. The DNA of the foetus should be preserved so that it can be recorded as evidence during trial. The victim submitted that she was a student at a private nursing college in Sivaganga. She discontinued her studies after her marriage was fixed on September 11 this year. On August 12, she went to her college to collect her transfer certificate and mark sheets.