HC asks petitioner to move Lokayukta with complaint against BRABU V-C

The complainant has alleged serious irregularities in appointments and financial lapses by BRA Bihar University (Muzaffarpur) vice-chancellor Hanuman Prasad Pandey, registrar Dr RK Thakur and CCDC Dr Amita Sharma.

The Patna High Court on Tuesday directed a petitioner to approach the Lokayukta with his complaint alleging serious irregularities in appointments and financial lapses by BRA Bihar University (Muzaffarpur) vice-chancellor Hanuman Prasad Pandey, registrar Dr RK Thakur and CCDC Dr Amita Sharma.

Patna High Court (HT FIle)

The petitioner, Md Umer Shekh, has accused the V-C and his associates of regularisation of over 500 illegal appointments and making illegal payments, 37 illegal appointments in Nalanda Open University, where Pandey held additional charge till a couple of days ago, handing over charge of eight full-time posts to Sharma, who also allegedly carried out illegal appointments for vocational courses, tampering with the merit list for M.Ed to change names of 70 candidates, no reservation roster compliance in the appointment of guest teachers for history, double payment to some teachers from two places and discrepancies in tender allotment for printing.

The petitioner had sought direction to the state government to hold a proper inquiry into the entire affairs of Pandey and his associates by an independent agency or a special investigation team (SIT). The petitioner said he had also approached the Chancellor’s office, the state government, the member of Parliament of Muzaffarpur and the members of the Legislative Assembly in April itself to apprise them of the arbitrary functioning of the V-C in connivance with his trusted officials.

“The university seems to have become a den of corruption and it calls for a thorough probe,” senior advocate PK Shahi, appearing for the petitioner, told the bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Sanjay Kunar, who asked the petitioner to move Lokayukta.

“The complaint petition will soon be filed before the Lokayukta in the light of the court observation,” Shahi said.

In the recent past, Raj Bhawan had also set up inquiry against three present V-Cs — Magadh University V-C, JP University V-C and Pandey.

Earlier, several V-Cs and proV-Cs had to resign or were removed on corruption charges.

Pandey was not available for comment.