Madras HC stays probe against V-C of Periyar varsity
The Madras high court on Friday stayed the investigation against R Jagannathan, vice chancellor (VC) of Salem-based Periyar University
The Madras high court on Friday stayed the investigation against R Jagannathan, vice chancellor (VC) of Salem-based Periyar University who was arrested on December 26 on charges of allegedly starting a private firm inside the university campus and for misappropriating public funds.
The order was passed by justice Anand Venkatesh on a petition filed by the VC seeking to quash the case against him.
“In the instant case, considering the materials placed before this court, this court finds that the criminal prosecution has been instituted with an ulterior motive,” justice Anand Venkatesh said. “It is the duty of this court to look into the attending circumstances, emerging from the record of the case over and above the averments made in the FIR.”
I Elangovan who claims to be the president of the Association of University Teachers, legal adviser and social activist filed a complaint to the Salem police. He alleged that the University’s VC and the registrar, K Thangavel, along with three others, registered a company, Periyar University Technology Entrepreneurship and Research Foundation (PUTER Foundation). Each of the accused is shown as a director and the official address of this company is shown to be inside the varsity. Also, a separate portion of land belonging to the University was allotted. He also alleged that this company was formed without obtaining any permission from the University and the government.
“Steps were taken to let out this place to (a) private entity and to misappropriate funds,” the complainant said, adding that when he questioned the VC regarding this, the latter verbally abused him, using his caste name and criminally intimidated him.
Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered against the VC and others on December 26, 2023, under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery), 409 (criminal breach of trust) and 511 (attempt to commit offence). The VC was subsequently arrested but later granted bail.
The VC submitted to the court that PUTER was set up based on a government order from 2013 which gave financial sanction for nine universities under the state’s higher education department to set up incubation and technology transfer centres including Periyar University. “Pursuant to the government order, steps were taken to establish the incubation and technology transfer centre and a committee was formed with the registrar of the University as the coordinator,” the VC said. PUTER Foundation has been registered under the Companies Act.
“However, there is absolutely no material to show that money was in fact transferred or misappropriated by the accused persons,” the court said. “Even the statement recorded by the police from the entities with whom the MoU (memorandum of understanding) has been entered into, shows that there was absolutely no money transferred by anyone. Even if the allegations are taken to its extremes, at the best, it may lead to dereliction of duty of the accused persons for not getting permission from the University and the government before entering into MoUs with four entities,” the judge added.
“The allegation regarding abuse in the name of caste, comes out of blue without any context,” the court noted.
The case will next be heard after four weeks.