Chargesheeted Bharathiar University in Coimbatore distance education chief to rejoin duty

COIMBATORE : Bharathiar University School of Distance Education Director (incharge) R Mathivanan, whose name was included in the FIR, based on which Vice Chancellor A Ganapathy was trapped by Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) while accepting bribe from a assistant professor, has now been allowed to rejoin duty at a constituent college in Pollachi.Based on a complaint from T Suresh, assistant professor (on probation) of Chemistry Department, the DVAC caught Ganapathy red-handed while accepting bribe. One of the CDs submitted by complainant T Suresh contained audio conversation between him and Chemistry Department head N Dharmaraj and School of Distance Education Director (incharge) R Mathivanan.

In the FIR, Chemistry professor N Dharmaraj and Director (incharge) of School of Distance Education R Mathivanan were included as accused. While Ganapathy and Dharmaraj were suspended, Mathivanan went on leave. Now, the university has allowed Mathivanan to rejoin duty and shifted him to a constituent college in Pollachi.

Mathivanan, who was initially appointed as director of University Grants Commission-Human Resource Development Centre, was given additional charge as director (in-charge) of School of Distance Education. When contacted, University Registrar (in-charge) B Vanitha said, “Only when a government employee is imprisoned for a certain number of years could they be suspended. Since Mathivanan was not arrested, he was not suspended. As authorities wanted him to be away from the university, he was shifted to a constituent college in Pollachi.”

When asked whether the UGC was informed about the FIR registered against him, she said, “He has returned to work only now. The syndicate will discuss this and the UGC will be informed about the FIR registered against him.”Meanwhile, Ganapathy, who was asked by the university to vacate his quarters, has sought more time to vacate. “Ganapathy has sought more time to vacate the quarters, saying that his ward has written NEET. Once the results are out, the suspended V-C will vacate the quarters,” the university officials said.