Marks card forgery: SC refuses plea by FSL psychologist

The Supreme Court has declined to entertain a plea by the psychologist who undertook narco-analysis and brain-mapping of criminals at the Forensic Science Laboratory, Bengaluru, to quash a police investigation launched against her and her husband for allegedly forging her SSLC marks card.

A bench of Justices S A Bobde and L Nageswara Rao dismissed the petition filed by Dr S Malini and her husband, Dr B K Muralidhar, but granted them liberty to file a discharge plea before the trial court.

Malini and her husband challenged the Karnataka High Court order of July 5, 2018, declining their plea to quash the FIR lodged by Halasurugate police station, Bengaluru, for allegedly forging SSLC certificate to indicate her date of birth as May 12, 1964, instead of her actual date of birth as May 12, 1960.

The case was lodged against them on a complaint filed by advocate Pradeep Kumar G S.

“We see no reason to entertain this petition. Accordingly, the special leave petition is dismissed,” the court said.

“Liberty is granted to the petitioners to apply for discharge in accordance with law,” it said.

The advocate-complainant had claimed, previous to filing of the complaint, that a police officer of the rank of commissioner had virtually enquired into the matter and found that the said documents were fake and submitted a confidential report to the government. Due to political pressure, the government discharged the accused, he said.

However, the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal had set aside the order to discharge her. The HC, however, said the discharge order was set aside technically, but the police investigation must go on.

“It is the exclusive domain of the police to investigate such matters and file an appropriate report,” it said.