Vigilance probe against Jamia Millia Hindi Head, others

GAYA: With vigilance team seizing documents from Magadh University office and questioning officials connected with the establishment and allied sections of the University , the ongoing probe into the MU appointment scam has gathered momentum and according to sources, the first charge sheet is likely to be submitted early next month.
Prof DP Gupta, HOD Hindi, Jamia Millia University, New Delhi figures as an accused in the criminal case instituted in connection with the Magadh University appointment scam.
The then VC Arun Kumar, the main accused of the case was earlier arrested in connection with the scam. He was subsequently released on bail. Prof DP Gupta, an expert member of the selection committee is alleged to have conspired with the then MU VC Arun Kumar and others to facilitate the appointment of inferior candidates to the post of Principal at the cost of meritorious ones apparently for extraneous considerations.
Case whistle blower Shiv Jatan Thakur has demanded fast paced investigation and speedy trial to prevent manipulation of record and destruction of evidence.
As against 12 vacancies, altogether 15 apointments were made to the post of and at least three of the appointments were made against nin existent posts in an allegedly fraudulent manner.
One of the appointees was earlier charge-sheeted by Gaya police for allegedly molesting a folk singer at Bodh Gaya while another appointee faced charges of financial bungling in his previous job.
Besides making appointments allegedly by tampering records, manipulating documents, co-opting ineligible person as a member of the selection committee, keeping away government nominee from the entire process, awarding disproportionately high marks in interview to favoured candidates and ignoring a government ban on appointments, the Bodh Gaya-headquartered university's then VC is also alleged to have arbitrarily reserved one post for a Sikh candidate. Neither the Constitution nor the University Act provides for religion-based reservation.
The documents recently seized by the vigilance sleuths include the application form of the Principal job aspirants and documents submitted by the candidates.
According to sources, based on these documents and provisions of the Bihar State Universities Act, statutes and executive orders, the vigilance sleuths are preparing their own chart of the academic credentials of the job aspirants and this chart will be compared with the chart made by the university to ascertain the alleged malpractices to favour academically inferior candidates over those with much better academic record.
Vigilance sleuths, according to sources, are also reconstructing the modus operandi of the alleged scamsters to make a fool proof case.
Refusing to share anything, Vigilance SP Sushil Kumar said that he would be placing the facts of the case before the High Court bench monitoring the investigation.
Justice AK Tripathi of the Patna high court, who is monitoring the vigilance investigation, on May 19, 2015 gave a free hand to the vigilance sleuths to take action against the accused in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Penal Code.