The Governing Body (GB) of the college had on April 10 last year accepted the inquiry report by Dhingra and decided to issue show-cause notices to 10 persons, including principal Inderjeet Dagar. (Representational image) The Delhi University administration has accepted the report of retired Delhi High Court judge Justice S N Dhingra, which found “irregularities” in the purchase of library books for the College of Vocational Studies (CVS), and asked the principal to proceed on leave till further orders.
The Governing Body (GB) of the college had on April 10 last year accepted the inquiry report by Dhingra and decided to issue show-cause notices to 10 persons, including principal Inderjeet Dagar. The Indian Express had reported in September 2020 that 180 books worth Rs 1 lakh had been bought for the library but never reached it.
The Dhingra committee report said the “college suffered financial loss due to acts of the members of the verification committee who did verification of the books without books actually having been received in the CVS library”. He said the librarian should be held responsible for purchase of books.
Dhingra also indicted Dagar. “It appears that the principal had deliberately been closing his eyes not only to the misdeeds being done by the library staff and some of the teachers but has been a party to it (sic),” he said in the report, recommending that Dagar be sent on leave till the matter is probed further.
The matter was pending with the DU administration since then.
“We received recommendation of the GB that he be sent on leave and the matter will be examined further. We have agreed. It is an administrative decision. It is not a punishment as yet, just the process which has to be followed,” DU Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh told The Indian Express.
Based on this, GB Chairman Rajan Chopra Friday sent a letter to Dagar asking him to proceed on leave: “Sir, in view and in compliance of letter dated 06.01.2022… issued by Assistant Registrar Colleges of University of Delhi, you are hereby directed to proceed on leave till further orders… This is with immediate effect and to be complied with by you forthwith. It may be noted that these directions are being passed in order to conduct the proposed and contemplated enquiry in all fairness and as per applicable rules.”
“You are directed not to attend or enter your/this office or to have access to any records/files, documents etc without express written permission of the undersigned,” he further wrote.
Dagar did not respond to queries. GB Chairman Chopra said further decision on the inquiry officer etc will be taken in a GB meeting on January 14.
Kumar Ramkrishna, a teacher at the college and the whistleblower in the case, said, “We are glad the university has taken serious note of the matter.”
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