Corruption charges against NU VC, Pro-VC and ex-registrar

Nagpur: A special anti-corruption court has issued notices to Nagpur University (NU) vice chancellor SP Kane, Pro-VC Pramod Yeole, former registrar Puran Meshram and others following a criminal application over according illegal approvals to Social Work College at Kamptee.
The petition alleged that the top officers and Meshram colluded to grant approvals to the college run by Lord Buddha Saariputra Gyanprasarak Shikshan Sanstha, Brahmapuri. Meshram allegedly headed the trust, which runs the college, while serving at different positions in the NU.
The college lacks proper infrastructure and staff yet it was given continuation of affiliation and approval from time to time, the petition states.
The court has asked the respondents to reply by August 5 in the case filed under various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act by former NU chairman of Mass Communication board Sunil Mishra.
Additional commissioner of police (crime branch), superintendent of police, assistant commissioner of social welfare department Babasaheb Deshmukh and former & present officials of NU college section, LEC members beside VC, Pro-VC, former registrar Meshram have been made respondents.
Mishra’s petition states that VC Kane misused his office as a public servant for big financial gains for himself as well as his family members. Kane has amassed disproportionate wealth which is above his known sources of income, Mishra states. This, he said, was evident as Kane approved research centre at Meshram’s college in return of money despite a NU committee giving adverse report over lack of facilities there.
The petition accused Pro-VC Yeole of giving all information to Meshram regarding his complaint to the university about illegalities at the social work college. In another case, Mishra has petitioned the court over illegal appointments at the college. He accused Yeole of colluding with Meshram while refusing to take action despite being in-charge of NU’s college section.
Deshmukh too has been accused of allocating salary funds without inspecting the college. In the petition, Mishra alleged that Meshram bribed Deshmukh to ensure he overlooked complaints and controversies at the college.
He also said that he had submitted a complaint application along with documentary proofs but the police failed to take action.
Mishra submitted that university is out of government’s ambit and hence no permission was not required to prosecute them.
As per law, permission is needed from a public servant’s employer (government) to prosecute him.