Fake PSTM certificates: HC grants DVAC two months to comply with its earlier directions

Court directs Registrar of Annamalai University to cooperate with DVAC by producing all details regarding students who got appointments by producing PSTM certificates

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has granted the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) two months’ time to comply with its earlier directions to investigate the irregularities in issuance of Person Studied in Tamil Medium (PSTM) certificates.

A Division Bench of Justices P. Velmurugan and B. Pugalendhi took note of the status report submitted by the DVAC, Madurai. It was submitted that 34 candidates got appointments under PSTM quota in the Combined Civil Services - I Examination (2016-2019) and a detailed enquiry was conducted.

Seven of the 34 candidates had studied in different colleges in regular stream (Tamil medium) and there was no dispute in their receipt of PSTM certificates. Five candidates had produced PSTM certificates from Madurai Kamaraj University. It was found that four of them had produced fake PSTM certificates and got appointments. A case had been registered and it was under investigation.

The report said two candidates had studied in Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, through distance mode and three others had studied in the University of Madras through distance mode and there was no dispute in their receipt of PSTM certificates.

One candidate had studied BA (Tamil) in Periyar University, Salem, through distance mode. There was no dispute in his study. But, the university had not issued the PSTM certificate to the candidate. Without enclosing the PSTM certificate, the candidate had got an appointment under the PSTM quota.

The remaining 16 candidates had produced PSTM certificates from Annamalai University, Chidambaram, and the investigation agency was yet to receive the details with regard to the date of payment of examination fees remitted in the university’s bank account, for verification. The investigating agency was having doubts regarding three candidates out of these 16 candidates.

Considering the progress made by the investigating agency, the court granted two months’ time to the investigating officer to comply with its earlier directions.

The court directed the Registrar of Annamalai University to cooperate with the investigating agency by producing all the details. The court, which was hearing a contempt petition filed by advocate G. Sakthi Rao of Madurai, posted the matter for hearing to the first week of January 2025.

Published - November 20, 2024 09:55 pm IST