Fake degree case: Former AAP Minister Jitender Singh Tomar sent to Tihar jail
New Delhi: Former Delhi law minister Jitender Singh Tomar was on Sunday sent to Tihar jail by a court here in the alleged fake degree case after police said that it does not require his custody for now. Tomar was produced in the court by the police on the expiry of his two day police remand. He has been in police custody since his arrest on June 9 with court extending his police remand period thrice.
"In the circumstances, Investigating Officer (IO) submits that the accused be sent to one day judicial custody as his presence is required for taking specimen signatures in connection with the case. Accused is granted one day judicial custody," Metropolitan Magistrate Ankit Singla said.
The magistrate, however, recused himself from becoming witness to the Delhi Police's plea for taking specimen signature necessary for the case citing personal reasons.
Read: AAP minister Jitender Singh Tomar quits after arrest by Delhi police
"I have already conveyed my request to Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) to recuse me from deciding the applicationsin the case due to personal reasons. Therefore, I can't become witness to factum of taking specimen signatures of the accused," the magistrate said.
He also directed the IO that application for specimen signatures and all subsequent applications in the case be put before the court of CMM. The magistrate, who was also to hear the bail plea of Tomar which was listed for tomorrow, recused himself from hearing it and transferred it to the court of CMM. Earlier during the hearing, Delhi police told the court that Tomar's police custody is not needed for now and he be sent to 14-days judicial custody.
Read: Former AAP minister Jitender Singh Tomar taken to college, claims degree is 'genuine'
The magistrate, however said that since application for specimen signature has been moved by the police, so Tomar be sent to one day judicial remand and be produced before CMM where the police plea will be decided. After the hearing, Tomar was taken to Tihar jail amid tight security.
During the hearing, Tomar moved an application through his advocate Harshit Jain seeking direction to jail superintendent and court lock-up incharge that he be lodged in separate wards and be taken to jail in a separate van due to security reasons.
The court accepted Tomar's plea and directed the jail superitendent to make arrangment that he be lodged in separatewards with other political inmates and a separate van should be provided to ferry him from court and jail.
Read: Jitender Singh Tomar did not graduate from our varsity: RML Awadh University
Earlier, on June 19, the court had extended Tomar's custody by two days after police said he needs to be confronted with his college officials and one other person Madan Pratap Chouhan interrogated in the matter.
Tomar, an MLA from Trinagar, was arrested in the morning of June 9 following an investigation into the complaint by Bar Council of Delhi that he had obtained a fake law degree from the Bihar college.
An FIR was registered against Tomar on June 8 at Hauz Khas police station and he was booked for alleged offences of cheating, forgery, using forged documents as genuine, forgery with intent to cheat and criminal conspiracy.
During his 12-day police custody period, the AAP MLA was taken to various places in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to ascertain facts regarding his alleged fake B.Sc and LLB degrees.
