CBI lodges FIR to probe 'misappropriation' of funds at Karnataka State Open University

CBI registers FIR against Karnataka State Open University officials for misappropriation of ₹300 crore.

The CBI has registered an FIR in connection with the alleged misappropriation of more than ₹300 crore against unidentified officials of the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) in its collaborative institution programme, officials said on Thursday.

The FIR alleges that the Mysore-based university had opened its collaborative institutions throughout the country and also abroad. (Representative Image)

The FIR alleges that the Mysore-based university had opened its collaborative institutions throughout the country and also abroad.

"The collaborative institutions were crediting the fees collected from the students towards admission fee, examination fee and such other fees required to be credited to the university," it says.

It emerged during an audit for the financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15 that credits to the tune of ₹50 crore from various collaborative institutions were missing.

"The auditor also calculated approximately another ₹250 crore missing credits pertaining to financial years 2009-10 to 2012-2013 based on the students' admission and the amount received by the university etc.," the FIR alleges.

The findings prompted the board of directors of the university to refer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which received the state government's nod subsequently.

In its reference, the state government asked the central agency to probe the alleged misappropriation of fees collected for the period from 2009-10 to 2015-16 from the KSOU, Mysore and its collaborative institutions spread all over India and identify the culprits involved.