High court pulls up university over clean chit to KL Bishnoi

The Bombay high court on Wednesday directed the Mumbai University to submit the report, by which it has given a clean chit to senior IPS officer KL Bishnoi, in an alleged case of malpractice during a practical exam in the final year of LLB.

A question has been raised in court if Bishnoi really bunk a practical exam of LLB course, four years back. Bishnoi is presently posted as IGP-SHRC. The petition has been filed against Mumbai University and Siddharth College of Law for showing Bishnoi ‘present’ for an exam, which he allegedly never attended.

Chitra Salunkhe, vice-principal of the Siddharth Law College and also the in-charge of the said examination, which was held in March 2005 has petitioned the court saying that although an SC/ST commission in June 2009 had directed the director general of police and the Azad Maidan police station to register an FIR against Bishnoi, the college and Mumbai University, it has not been followed as yet.

A division bench of justice Ranjana Desai and justice Mridula Bhatkar directed PM Palshikar, counsel for the university to submit the inquiry report, which was conducted by the controller of examination.

Palshikar informed the court that an inquiry was conducted by the university and nothing wrong has been filed against Bishnoi.
Arguing for Salunkhe, advocate Vijay M Thorat said “The police authorities are not implementing the order of SC/ST commission and there is a reason to believe that the same is with a view to save the additional commissioner of police, Aurangabad from the clutches of law. Everyone from the police department is trying to protect the said officer who has committed the gross irregularities.”

According to the petition, Salunkhe was in-charge of the practical exams which were held on March, 12, 2005 in Siddharth College. She had found out that a student listed on Roll N0. 16 was not present for the exam, but he was already allotted marks. When her inquiries with the college management were not responded, Salunkhe filed an RTI application in December, 2005. The name of the said student was Bishnoi KR.