PATNA: The state’s new education minister, Mewalal Choudhary, is an accused in a vigilance case lodged against him for alleged irregularities in recruitment of assistant professors-cum-junior scientists in Bihar Agricultural University (BAU) during his tenure as vice-chancellor of the institution from 2010 to 2015.
The case is still pending in the court of ADJ-I in Bhagalpur and Vigilance Investigation Bureau is investigating it, as per the affidavit of Choudhary available on the Election Commission website.
Charges have not been framed in the case yet, as per the affidavit. Vigilance sources said it had registered its own case against Choudhary and several other BAU officials after a preliminary inquiry.
Chaudhary was elected from Tarapur assembly seat in Munger on a JD(U) ticket. Earlier, he was suspended from JD(U) after an FIR was lodged against him with Sabaur police station in Bhagalpur on February 21, 2017 by BAU registrar.
A one-member inquiry committee of Justice (retired) Sayed Mohammad Mahfooz Alam of Patna high court, set up by the then governor-cum-chancellor of universities, had charged Choudhary with committing large scale bungling, favouritism, interpolation, manipulation, addition and subtraction in academic points of the candidates, changing the remarks and violating the provision of statute in selection of assistant professors-cum-junior scientists. It was on basis of this report that the FIR was lodged against Choudhary by registrar. However, Choudhary was granted anticipatory bail by the high court on August 22, 2017 on grounds that inquiry report didn’t contain any material to substantiate the charge that Choudhary had appointed his family members or relatives.
Choudhary’s passport was also impounded on police request by authorities concerned on October 24, 2017.
However, Chaudhary moved high court once again, which set aside the impounding order on August 20, 2019 on grounds that neither charge sheet was filed in the case nor court has taken cognizance of offences. “It can’t be said that a criminal case is pending against Choudhary,” the court had observed.
When TOI tried to contact Choudhary, one of his personal assistants picked up the phone and said the minister was taking rest and would be available to speak on the matter only on Thursday morning.