HC quashes charges against 5 cops in question paper leak case

The Madras High Court has set aside charges framed by a CBI court against five constables in a decade-old question paper leak case.
"In the absence of prosecution of the IPS officer, Radhakrishnan, who is stated to have leaked out the question paper to various persons, there is no scope to frame charge for conspiracy," Justice S Nagamuthu said.
The five constables had challenged a CBI court's order declining to discharge them from the case in connection with two question paper leak scams with regard to recruitment of 1997 Grade II constables in Tamil Nadu in 2005.
Justice Nagamuthu, before whom the criminal revision petition filed by the constables came up last week, observed "though there were very strong allegations made against T Radhakrishnan IPS and others available, they have been left out from the prosecution."

The examination on March 27, 2005 was cancelled by the government after it was found that question papers had been leaked. The re-examination held on June 1, 2005 too was plagued by question paper leak.
The government ordered a probe which was initially handled by CB-CID before being handed over to CBI.

When the case came up, the judge asked CBI if the agency intended to conduct any further investigation in the matter so as to collect further material and prosecute all the people who were responsible for the serious crime.
The CBI prosecutor told the court that it would not be possible to collect any further materials and doing further investigation would be only a wasteful exercise.

Justice Nagamuthu, who recorded the submission of the CBI prosecutor, in his order, said he was not inclined to order further investigation and that the charges framed against the five police personnel would be quashed.