PMK demands filing of charge sheet in BU VC bribery case

Coimbatore: The founder of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), S Ramadoss, on Saturday slammed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) for not filing charge sheet against the vice-chancellor of Bharathiar University A Ganapathi, even 10 months after his arrest.
Observing that it has been 310 days since Ganapathi was arrested, Ramadoss said it was shocking because just like in criminal cases, in graft cases also, charge sheet should be filed within 90 days. “Usually, when DVAC sleuths nab someone in a graft case, there would be a government witness along. DVAC has only to gather evidences, which they would complete in a few days. So, in such cases charge sheet can be filed very soon. The case will face a setback otherwise,” he said in a statement.

Ganapathi was arrested on February 3 for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 30lakh from an assistant professor aspirant. He was suspended from the post on February 7.

Citing news reports where the DVAC had said the procedures have been delayed as they were waiting for documents from the governor’s office, Ramadoss said, “The governor has been saying university administrations have been cleaned up due to the measures he had taken. If it is true that he had not given the documents needed to file the charge sheet in this case, it would be a big misdeed.”

There is a chance for Ganapathi to seek the VC post again as there has been no charge sheet against him so far, the PMK leader said.

Meanwhile, academicians said there were several roster violations in appointments done in the university during the 11th and 12th plan periods and called for an independent inquiry. The appointments made in violation of the roster during the 11th plan period were also regularised later, which was another violation, said C Pichandy, former general secretary of the Association of University Teachers (AUT).