New Delhi: Jailed former Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar on Monday failed to get bail in an alleged forged degree case from a court which remanded him to 14 days judicial custody and left him red faced, asking how long will the people be “taken for a ride”.
“As a general citizen, till when will you fool us? You can’t forge a document or affidavit,” Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Tarun Yogesh said as he remanded Tomar to judicial custody till July 6.
Further, the judge said “till when will the people be taken for a ride? We exercise our vote to elect our representative but what do we get?
“The Supreme Court has done a right thing by making a provision of NOTA (Non of the Above) option. As a simple voter, I get immense satisfaction by pressing this button on the EVM,” he added.
While dismissing his bail plea, the court observed that being a public representative and an MLA, allegations against Tomar were “grave in nature”.
“Considering the stage of investigation, use of fake law degree and document for getting enrolled as an advocate with Bar Council of Delhi, coupled with the fact that offence under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) IPC is involved in the case and co-accused/accomplice who might have facilitated the commission of crime are yet to be apprehended, I am not inclined to admit the accused Jitender Singh Tomar to bail,” the ACMM said.
“Considering the gravity of the allegations against him as a public representative and being an elected MLA, use of alleged fake documents for getting enrolled as an advocate, the bail application is dismissed,” the court said.
During the three-hour long hearing, Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Kumar Shrivastava said if Tomar was enlarged on bail, he may tamper with evidence and influence witnesses.
Opposing Tomar’s bail plea, he alleged that the accused had forged an RTI reply of Avadh University which shows that being an MLA, he was an influential person.
Claiming that Tomar was in regular touch with university and college officials when the issue of fake degree had surfaced, Shrivastava said “at this stage, we cannot say that the accused has forged documents but he has been the ultimate beneficiary of the entire thing.”
He also opposed the AAP leader’s bail plea, sought on the ground that he has to attend the Delhi Assembly Session.
Citing a Supreme Court judgement, the prosecutor said parliamentary privileges granted to public representatives were to facilitate their work and not for creating a class separate from other citizens. (PTI)
