Ex-MU VC surrenders before court after SC denies pre-arrest bail

On May 25, the Patna high court had rejected his anticipatory bail petition, citing “the gravity of offence” and ruling that the SVU had made out a case for “custodial interrogation of the petitioner”.

Former vice chancellor (VC) of Magadh University in Bihar, Rajendra Prasad, whose residential premises were searched last year by the state’s special vigilance unit (SVU) in a corruption case, on Wednesday surrendered before a special court in Patna after the Supreme Court rejected his plea for anticipatory bail, people familiar with the development said.

Rajendra Prasad had subsequently moved the Supreme Court, where a bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice M M Sundresh dismissed his special leave petition on December 15. (HT Photo)

Prasad was sent to judicial custody for 14 days by the special vigilance court.

On May 25, the Patna high court had rejected his anticipatory bail petition, citing “the gravity of offence” and ruling that the SVU had made out a case for “custodial interrogation of the petitioner”.

The single-member bench of justice Ashutosh Kumar had also rejected Prasad’s plea for quashing the FIR lodged by SVU, ruling that “prima facie the offences alleged against the VC do not come within the protective cover of Section 17(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, requiring prior sanction for lodging the FIR”.

Prasad had subsequently moved the Supreme Court, where a bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice M M Sundresh dismissed his special leave petition on December 15. “The petitioner may surrender and apply for regular bail,” the SC said in its order.

Early last year, SVU had searched Prasad’s official residence in Bodh Gaya and his ancestral house in Gorakhpur of Uttar Pradesh and had claimed to have recovered several incriminating evidence, besides ₹1.82 crore in cash.

Prasad was appointed as MU vice chancellor in September 2019 and resigned on May 28, 2022. During his term, he has been accused of fraudulent payments in respect of OMR question sheets and other shady deals, according to SUV officials.

When contacted, additional director general (ADG) of police N H Khan, who heads SUV, said, “We will now seek state government’s sanction to file a charge sheet against the former vice chancellor.”