Police gather evidence in VC Katoch’s ‘wrong’ biodata case

Ravinder Sood

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Palampur January 21

The police today geared up investigation into the complaint submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office against CSK HPAU Vice Chancellor KK Katoch regarding the submission of “wrong” bio-data while applying for the post in 2013. Katoch was appointed Vice Chancellor based on the bio-data.

The police collected evidence from Himanshu Mishra, the complainant, in the form of copies of Katoch’s school certificate and merit list in the HP board gazette. The VC had claimed in his bio-data that he had figured in the merit list pertaining to examination of higher secondary Part-II, securing 719 marks out 1,000. However, the merit list was closed at 788 marks and Katoch figured nowhere in the merit list, as per documents filed before the police by Mishra.

Later, addressing mediapersons at Press Club, Mishra said there were a number of contradictions in the resumes submitted by Katoch for the post of Director, Extension Education, HPAU in 2005, and later for the post of Vice Chancellor in 2013. Katoch served as Director, Extension Education, for six years.

Mishra said while applying for the post of Director, Extension Education, in 2005, Katoch didn’t claim he was a merit holder in higher secondary examination, but for the post of Vice Chancellor, he had claimed so. He released copies of Katoch’s school certificate and merit list published by the HP Board of School education.

Katoch had also claimed that he was awarded honor and merit certificate in B.Sc Agriculture while applying for the post of VC, which did not figure in the bio-data submitted for the post of Director, Extension Education.

Mishra urged the Chancellor and Chief Minister to order a judicial probe against Katoch by a judge of the high court since he held a high constitutional post. He said Katoch should be directed to proceed on leave for a free and impartial probe.

Notably, three former Vice Chancellors of various universities in Kerala, Maharashtra and Punjab have already been sacked by the respective governments for submitting wrong bio-data for the post.

Sources said the state government had taken a serious note of the “wrong” bio-data submitted by Katoch. Chief Minister Virbhadhra Singh had yesterday called for a copy of The Tribune and issued necessary directions to officers to study the complaint received from the PMO, they said.

Meanwhile, a senior bureaucrat on the condition of anonymity said the bio-data filed by Katoch in 2013 was not properly scrutinised in the office of the Chancellor before clearing his name. The state government realised the lapses when the complaint of Misra was first received in the Governor’s Secretariat in Shimla on January 17, 2014, he said. The government preferred not to initiate any action against the VC to avoid humiliation, he claimed. The bureaucrat said it was not expected that the complainant would approach the office of Prime Minister with documentary evidence.