TINDIVANAM (TN): Puducherry Minister for Education and Transport, P M L Kalyanasundaram, facing charges of having engaged a proxy to impersonate him at a tenth standard supplementary exam recently, appeared before a local court here today.Kalyanasundaram, who allegedly cheated in the examination held here in September this year, appeared before the Judicial Magistrate I court following the court's order on a petition filed by the Villupuram district police.Magistrate Prakash adjourned the proceedings in the case to November 11 after recording the minister's presence and ordered Kalyanasundaram to be present on that day, sources said.The Villupuram district crime branch police had earlier sought to serve summons twice to Kalyanasundaram through the Assembly Secretariat here for an inquiry in connection with the case.As the summons were returned to the Villupuram district police by the Secretariat on the ground that the Minister could not be traced, the police filed a petition before the court here praying for a direction to Kalyanasundaram to cooperate in the investigation in the case.The court issued an order to the minister on October 20 to make himself available for inquiry on November 2 either before the court or before the police. The Minister has also filed an anticipatory bail petition in the Madras High court.Kalyanasundaram was absent at today's monsoon session of the Puducherry Assembly as he was preoccupied with the case.Kalyanasundaram had first appeared for SSLC exam in 1991 and passed in three of five subjects, excepting Science and Social Sciences. He applied for the supplementary exam held on September 29 and 30 stating his centre of preference as Tindivanam close to Puducherry.He had said that on appearing at the centre to write the test, his hall ticket and the number on the answer sheet had been verified, only after which he was allowed to write the exam.He said he had applied as a candidate to write the 10th exam in science and social science subjects.He appeared for the science examination on September 29 last but did not do so the next day for the second paper as he had to attend a meeting in the Puducherry assembly.He has alleged he has been falsely implicated in the case due to political compulsions.The Union Territory does not have a separate education board and follows the syllabus of Tamil Nadu state board.Meanwhile, opposition Congress in Puducherry today demanded to know the whereabouts of the minister. Leader of the opposition, V Vaithilingam, said before heading a walkout by all the seven Congress legislators that it would be "inappropriate to retain Kalyanasundaram in the ministry in view of the controversy he has landed in"."What action has been taken against the tainted minister facing charges of impersonation?" Vaithilingam said. Speaker V Sabapathy objected to Vaithilingam`s remarks that Kalyanasundaram was a tainted minister.
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