Mining baron Sudhir Sharma, the most wanted in Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) scam, surrendered in a Bhopal district court on Friday morning. He was sent to police remand for one day.
The court also directed the STF to submit the case diary related to the constable recruitment scam on Saturday. later, the STF filed an application in the court after which the magistrate handed over Sharma to the STF on a day's remand. The probe agency formally arrested Sharma in the court.
The STF's Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), DS Baghel informed the court that it wanted to arrest Sharma for his alleged involvement in the police constable and sub-inspector recruitment examination conducted by the MPPEB.
Sharma arrived at the court along with his lawyer Pratul Shandilya, who said that his client has been falsely implicated in the two cases. Since an FIR was registered against him in these two cases, he wished to surrender before the court, his lawyer said. Sharma, who was a school teacher, was very close to arrested former Higher and Technical Education Minister, laxmikant Sharma.
On run since May, Sharma was given an ultimatum to present himself in the court before July 28 by CJM Pankaj Singh Maheshwari during the last hearing on July 22.
The Special Task Force (STF), which is investigating the scam, had moved an application in the court to attach Sharma's properties under the Special Act after he failed to appear on the previous deadline July 21.
A cash award of Rs 5000 was also declared on any information leading to his arrest by the probe agency.
However, his lawyer Pratulya Shandilya appeared in the court on the said date and sought extension of deadline for surrender on certain grounds, which was granted.
Even when Sharma surrendered in the court, the promptness of the STF officials could be seen as they reached the court after around one and a half hour, despite having sent a message to them by the court.
The court had already pulled up the police officials several times in the past in connection with not arresting Sudhir Sharma. There had been several allegations by the Opposition that the police did not make any efforts to nab him as he is highly influential person.
Notably, Sharma has been quite close to former Technical Education Minister laxmikant Sharma. This was evident with the recovery of ex-minister's sophisticated pistol from the possession of Sudhir Sharma during Income Tax raids at his premises two years ago.