Former Delhi University Vice- Chancellor Deepak Pental was today detained by a Delhi court in a case of alleged plagiarism, cheating and forgery but was later released from Tihar Jail on the Delhi High Court's direction.
According to the police and Tihar Jail authorities, 63-year-old professor Pental was released from the prison at around 7.30 PM after the High Court's order was communicated to them.
Earlier in the day, a magisterial court had ordered his arrest on a complaint by professor P Pardha Saradhi, who had accused him and his student of plagiarising his paper on biotechnology and publishing it as their own.
Pental was taken into custody and was detained by the police after he appeared before the trial court in pursuance of its earlier direction.
He has been accused of cheating and also misappropriating some genetic material from the university's science laboratory.
Even as Pental was taken into custody around 12:45 PM, his advocate moved the High Court for stay of his arrest.
The matter came up for hearing before Justice S Muralidhar, who stayed the magisterial court's arrest warrant, saying the trial court order is "suspended".
Justice Muralidhar directed Pental to appear before the trial court, when the bail application is listed.
The High Court asked the Registrar General to immediately convey the order to the Superintendent, Tihar Jail by fax and by telephone to facilitate the immediate release of Pental.
The HC order came on a plea moved by senior advocate Arvind Nigam, representing Pental, alleging that the trial court passed a wrong order and he was illegally taken into custody and sent to Tihar Jail.
