SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma, the former principal of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Jammu, who was accused of tampering with her date of birth certificate.
On July 4, the Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police had booked Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma for allegedly altering her birth certificate to gain an unfair advantage for admission to the MBBS course at GMCH in Jammu.
Recently, she was transferred from the post of GMCH principal and appointed as the secretary technical in the health and medical education department.
Justice Vinod Chatterji Koul, while hearing the bail application, observed, “Prima facie no case of cheating is made out against the petitioner because her date of birth certificate was rectified by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education after following due process of law.”
The court also noted that all documents required for the Crime Branch investigation have already been seised by the investigating agency.
“The fact that the petitioner is in government service is also to be taken into consideration. Further, there is no likelihood of her absconding from the trial. Respondent (crime branch) has nowhere stated that the petitioner is hiding and is not cooperating in the investigation of the case,” observed the court.
Dr Sharma has already appeared before the investigating agency and cooperated in the investigation.
“The investigating officer has collected all relevant documents. As such, it does not appear that custodial inquiry of the petitioner is mandatory. Hence the anticipatory bail is being granted to the petitioner,” concluded the court.
On July 4, the Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police booked Dr. Shashi Sudhan Sharma for allegedly tampering with her birth certificate to gain an unfair advantage for admission to the MBBS course at GMCH.
Based on a written complaint filed by one Manu Gupta, the Crime Branch conducted a preliminary investigation and found that the incumbent principal and dean possessed two birth certificates of April 8, 1964, and April 8, 1965.
It was alleged in the complaint that Dr Sharma was underage for admission to the MBBS course.
Subsequently, a case was registered against Dr. Sharma under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, and 120-B RPC read with 5(1)(d) Prevention of Corruption Act 2006 at the police station economic offences wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch, Jammu.
