The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday ordered a CBI probe into the multi-crore recruitment scam of the Madurai M.S.S. Waqf Board College allegedly involving Labour and Employment Minister Nilofer Kafeel and AIADMK Member of Parliament Anwar Raja.
Justice P. Velmurugan ordered the CBI to register an FIR and frame the chargesheet within six months in the case.
The State was directed to offer necessary infrastructure for the conduct of the investigation.
The court observed that with the allegation levied against a Minister and an MP, it was a case fit for investigation by the CBI.
The court was hearing the petition filed by B. Sardar Basha, a member of the general body of the college who alleged large-scale irregularities in the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in the college.
Mr. Basha complained that the then secretary and correspondent of the college, Jamal Mohideen indulged in misappropriation of funds in 2002.
He was also involved in mismanaging the college property and abetting sexual harassment of women teaching staff, the petitioner said.
Found guilty
Subsequently, Jamal Mohideen was removed from the general body.
However, A. Anwar Raja, the current chairperson of the Waqf Board, nominated Jamal Mohideen to the college board in 2017.
The petitioner alleged illegal gratification was received for making appointments and it was shared among Jamal Mohideen, Anwar Raja and Labour and Employment Minister Nilofer Kafeel. Though a complaint was preferred with the CBI and the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption in this regard, they were yet to respond to the complaint, the petitioner said.