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Prime accused in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission paper scam gets bail

Former Maharashtra Public Service Commission chairman S D Karnik, prime accused in the MPSC answer paper scam, was released at a surety of Rs 25,000 on Friday by the Mumbai high court.

Co-accused Vishwanath Kelkar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner [Thane], however, did not get bail.

Karnik has been told to attend the office of Anti-Corruption Bureau, when required, and not to leave the country.

He was arrested on July 14 and placed in custody from time-to-time. Later, he was admitted to the J J hospital after complaining of heart pain.

He was discharged from the hospital on Monday and sent to the central jail.

Karnik and Kelkar were charged with participating in the conspiracy to favour 398 candidates in 1999 MPSC examination by substituting answer papers with duplicate ones for bribes ranging from Rs 3,00,000 to Rs 5,00,000.

Karnik's lawyers Satish Maneshinde and Sayaji Nangre urged for his bail saying that so far nothing had emerged from the interrogations carried out by the ACB. Answer sheets had not been recovered from Karnik and no candidate had accused him of accepting bribe in lieu of favours, they said.

There was no evidence to show that Karnik allowed the other accused to substitute answer papers, they added.

He had also ordered re-examination of 398 candidates involved in the scam after consulting other MPSC members, they said.

Advocate General Goolam Vahanvati, opposing bail for Karnik and Kelkar, said that they were deeply involved in the scam.

He alleged the candidates had paid bribe to the accused at the instance of Kelkar. Karnik had taken over as member of the Union Public Service Commission after his stint in the MPSC. He resigned as the UPSC member soon after his arrest.

Vahanvati alleged that Karnik had ordered re-examination of 398 candidates with a view to favour them. He said only eight of the 398 candidates had passed in the preliminary examination. This indicated the magnitude of the alleged scam, he said.

He also alleged that the ACB had recovered 46 answer sheets and keys of MPSC office from Assistant Commissioner of Police Baban Kadam, who used to regularly meet Karnik.

He said Karnik owned a flat valued at Rs 1.40 crore and other investments valued at Rs one crore. Gold ornaments valued at Rs 14 lakh were found from his residence and documents recovered from him indicated that his flat in the posh locality of Nariman Point was purchased during the period of the scam.

Related Report:
Court rejects bail plea of seven MPSC scam accused

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