Central Bureau of Investigation filed charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy against four people
The Central Bureau of Investigation today filed charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy against four people, including the sacked vice chancellor of the central Viswa Bharati University founded by Nobel laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore at Shantiniketan in West Bengal.
Besides Professor Sushanta Duttagupta who was sacked by President Pranab Mukherjee in February, the other three named by the CBI are Gunashekharan, who was registrar at Viswa Bharati at the same time, Atul Prasad Trivedi, the current finance officer and Shyamala Rai Nair, the deputy registrar.
It is the appointment of the deputy registrar that has brought the CBI to Viswa Bharati. According to sources, a complaint was filed that Ms Nair did not meet the age and academic requirements for the post of deputy registrar.
About 15 CBI officials fanned out in three-four groups to search and seize papers at the finance department at the vice chancellor's office early in the morning. The official residence of the vice chancellor was also searched.
The CBI also conducted searches at two premises each at Kolkata and Bhubaneswar.
The former vice chancellor was not available for comments.
Professor Duttagupta is the first vice chancellor to be removed from office in the current government's term. Complaints of nepotism and irregularities in finances and appointments were brought to Rajya Sabha by Congress lawmaker Pradip Bhattacharya late last year.
An investigation by the Ministry of Human Resources Development found him guilty and advised the President, who is the chancellor, to sack him. Professor Duttagupta, claiming he was not being given a fair hearing, submitted his resignation last September. The President may have accepted it and spared him the ignominy of a sacking.
But the Ministry of Human Resources Development is believed to have insisted that he be sacked.