SC allows fresh case against KU ex-VC

Dharwad: Karnatak University is in the news again with the Supreme Court on September 4 allowing filing of a fresh complaint against the alleged irregularities during the tenure of professor H B Walikar as its vice-chancellor from 2011 to 2014.
The apex court’s decree has revived a probe in to the alleged scam that had been buried following a high court order quashing the criminal case against Walikar.
Following complaints of financial irregularities and illegality in appointment to various teaching posts in the university, governor and chancellor Vajubhai Vala had ordered an inquiry by a one-man commission headed by Justice Padmaraj. In its report, the commission had said there was truth in the allegations and there was need for a detail inquiry by an investigation agency.
Based on this report, the governor had directed the KU registrar to file a complaint with the Lokayukta. After an inquiry, the Lokayukta had registered a FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Walikar on October7, 2014.
Walikar then filed a petition in the High Court bench against the FIR. A single-judge bench on November 24, 2015 accepted his plea and had quashed the criminal case against him. Walikar had also claimed that the chancellor had no powers to initiate action against the vice-chancellor as per the Karnataka State Universities Act 2000 as the latter was not an employee of the varsity.
Challenging this, the governor, registrar of KUD and the state government had filed special leave petitions in the Supreme Court. A three-judge bench presided by Justice N V Ramana and comprising Justices Mohan Shantanagoudar and Ajay Rastogi has said there is no impediment to take legal action against the former vice-chancellor for the alleged financial irregularities during his tenure.
The Supreme Court’s order on September 4 has paved the way for the chancellor to initiate legal action against Walikar.
Decision welcomed
Former member of Karnatak University K S Jayanti, who had launched a save university campaign, has welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision. The ‘Save University’ committee had lodged complaints about irregularities during Walikar’s tenure as vice-chancellor and had sought an investigation. Jayanti said the high court had stayed the FIR against Walikar on technical reasons and it had never said that there were no irregularities in the varsity.