By: HEMA D
SHIMLA: Kuldeep Rao brother of Senior Cabinet Minister Rangila Ram Rao has been granted bail by the Additional District and Sessions Judge D K Sharma. On November 16, the Judicial Magistrate (first class) had remanded Rao, along with four other accused parents in the HP-PMT paper leak case to 14 days judicial custody.
Just a day later, after he complained of “discomfort” and “hypertension” in the jail (Kanda Jail), he was admitted to the Cardiac Care Unit of Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital. He was said to be fine after some tests were conducted on him later in the hospital.
His daughter Aditi Rao had secured 628 marks (rank 25) in the first examination and did not appear for the re-examination. Rao is serving as an Executive Engineer in the state PWD department.
O P Chaudhary, a block Medical officer at Civil Hospital Chail was also granted bail today.
Other parents arrested by the police along with Rao last week include, S K Sood, an SDO in Satluj Vidyut Nigam Limited, J D Kalia, a Branch Manager of SBI, Nalin Sharma a private medical practitioner at Theog and O P Chaudhary a doctor at Civil hospital, Chail.
Later one Indian Forest Services Officer, Geeta Ram Sahibi was arrested in the scam. Sahibi is also reported to be a close relative of one of the senior leader of the ruling Congress party in the state. He was also later sent to 14 days judicial remand. His daughter Nancy had scored 670 in the first examination, but did not appear for the re-examination.
Involvement of Additional Secretary, Health, Sandeep Bhatnagar and his wife Shelly Bhatnagar has also come to light in the case of their daughter, Kajori Bhatnagar who 646 in the first PMT exam but did not appear in the re-examination. Police has conducted several raids at their house in Shimla and Chandigarh but they are still not traceable.
Shelly Bhatnagar is a teacher at the BRC coaching center at Chandigarh, whose owner N P S Bindra was also arrested for helping in the paper leak. Shelly is said to have taken her daughter and one more girl to Dehradun for tutoring them the leaked paper just a day before the exam.
According to sources in the police, all 38 parents whose wards came in the merit list would be arrested in the case.
