A local court here on Monday deferred the announcement of judgment by one week in a case involving Mushtaq Ahmad Peer, the former chairman of the board of professional entrance examination (BOPEE), and others, accused in 2012 CET scam.
The anti-corruption court Srinagar (Kashmir) had been deferring the verdict from November 2017. The court during the last proceedings had set 22 January 2018 as next date.
The court has recorded the statements of witnesses and the parties have concluded the arguments. It was around sixth time today that the court deferred the announcement of judgment.
While few accused including Peer were present, others were not. The special judge anti-corruption ordered the case to be listed on 29 January 2018.
Peer was arrested on 23 November 2014 by the crime branch after investigation revealed that he had allegedly sold the CET-2012 papers along with answer keys for Rs 60 lakh.
Peer and over 50 others, accused in the case, were charge-sheeted in FIR 24/2013 Under Section 420, 120B RPC, 5(2)d r/w (5(2) PC Act) Police Station Crime Branch. Among the accused included beneficiary students and parents besides the brokers.
In 2017, the Supreme Court had asked the trial court to conclude the trial into the multi-crore cash-for-paper scam expeditiously.
The order by the apex court followed perusal of a letter by it, which was sent on 17 April 2017 by the special judge, anti¬-corruption Kashmir, stating that the time period of three months granted by it had lapsed and further extension be granted to conclude the trial.
The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by the BOPEE against high court’s 20 March 2014 order, in which the board had been directed to publish a list of 21 meritorious candidates who on the basis of merit may be considered for admission to the MBBS course in place of candidates whose admission had been cancelled following a probe conducted by crime Branch Kashmir.
The government had insisted that Peer was sole custodian and trustee of the question papers for CET-2012.
It said that he was found to have abused his official position by making sale of question papers along with answer keys prior to conduct of examination and conferred undue benefit upon the beneficiaries, resulting in selection of undeserving candidates for MBBS.
The high court granted bail to Peer on 24 May 2016. The high court and the trail court had earlier rejected several bail applications by Peer given the gravity and seriousness of offence committed by him.