Bar dream lands 3 behind bars

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 30

Three men, who had submitted fake law certificates along with marks sheets of Bundelkhand University to apply for enrolment as advocates in the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana in 2000, were today awarded two-year jail term by a local court.

The court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Jagmeet Singh also imposed a fine of Rs 3,000 each on the convicts — Ajay Kumar and Man Mohan, both natives of Mansa, and Harjeet Singh, a native of Yamunanagar.

According to the prosecution, a written complaint in this regard was moved by CM Munjal, honorary secretary of the Bar, to the UT SSP for lodging an FIR against the trio. It was stated in the plaint that Narinder Kumar applied for the Bar Council on the prescribed pro forma for enrolment as an advocate in January 2000 and attached a provisional certificate of LLB along with the marks sheets.

In the application form, he stated that he was a regular student of Bundelkhand Law College, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. The applicant even submitted a verification certificate alleged to have been issued by Bundelkhand University, claiming the attendance certificate and the LLB degree to be genuine.

Meanwhile, a letter was received from the university that the roll number of Narinder was not issued by it and it was not correct.

The Registrar of the university later confirmed that it was forged. The matter was considered by the Bar at its meeting and it was decided that following the verification by the university, prima facie it appeared to be a case of fraud/forgery.

The list of names of other persons who applied to the Bar for enrolment as advocates and their law degrees of Bundelkhand University were also alleged to be forged.

The names of three came under the scanner and their documents were found to be forged.

Several acquitted

There were nearly 10 accused, including Narinder, in the case. Most of them, excluding the trio, were acquitted while some are still undertrials.