Former DU VC Deepak Pental's arrest warrant stayed by Delhi HC

NEW DELHI: Former Delhi University Vice- Chancellor Deepak Pental was today ordered to be taken into custody in a complaint of plagiarism, cheating and forgery but was later directed to be released by the Delhi High Court.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Kumar Gautam ordered Professor Pental's 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.

Sixty three-year-old Pental has been accused of cheating and also misappropriating some genetic material from the university's science lab.

While Pental was taken into custody around 12:45 PM, his advocate moved the high court immediately after which his arrest was stayed.

The matter came up for hearing before Justice S Muralidhar of the Delhi High Court, who stayed the magisterial court's arrest warrant, saying till pendency of the petition before him, the trial court order is "suspended".

Meanwhile, the court directed the officials concerned to produce the trial court's order before December 15.

The high court also said, "This order will remain in force till pending of the petition".

It directed the Registrar General of the High Court to communicate the order immediately through fax and telephone to Tihar Jail authorities concerned.

It also said that on next date of hearing the file related to the case be produced before it.

The high court's direction 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.