CHENNAI: The arrest of Bharathiar University (BU) Vice Chancellor A. Ganapathy on charges of demanding Rs3 million for confirmation of a lecturer has triggered a demand for a total investigation into appointments to higher educational institutions, especially those he made at BU.

Ganapathy was arrested by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) on Saturday after setting up a trap with the help of T. Suresh, 49, an assistant professor on probation at the department of Chemistry.

He allegedly demanded Rs3.5 million for the post and finally agreed to take Rs3 million. Acting on Suresh’s complaint, DVAC officials laid a trap and gave the man chemically treated notes, to be handed over to the Vice-Chancellor, the police said.

Ganapathy was arrested at his residence after he accepted Rs100,000 in cash and Rs2.9 million by cheques from Suresh, they said.

Sources said soon after receiving the money, Ganapathy, who saw the DVAC officials, took a part of cash and rushed into the washroom, where he reportedly tore the notes and dumped them into the toilet.

However, the DVAC officials and revenue staff caught hold of him, preventing him from flushing out the remaining notes.

Ganapathy’s wife, Swarnalatha, was also taken into custody after she was allegedly found tearing some currency notes and throwing it into the drainage, police said.

A case was registered against Dharmaraj, a Chemistry professor in the university, for allegedly ‘brokering’ the deal, police sources said.

The officials questioned both Ganapathy and Dharmaraj and searches were conducted at their residences.

A convener committee including the Higher Education Secretary and the Director of Collegiate Education will be set up to investigate the scandal associated with the arrest of the Vice-Chancellor.

A group of teachers and syndicate members of BU are demanding a judicial probe into past appointments made by him.