PRO appointment: SKUAST ex-VC, Registrar booked

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 11

Following allegations of illegal appointment of a “blue-eyed” person as Public Relations Officer (PRO) and after its verification the Vigilance Organisation today registered a case on the prima facie establishment of offences on the part of Dr B Mishra, the then Vice Chancellor of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST)-Jammu, BB Gupta, the then Registrar, and Tarsem Raj, the then Assistant Registrar of the varsity.

The verification of allegations of illegal appointment of Sanjay Sharma as a PRO revealed that the individual was initially engaged as a computer programmer on the ad hoc basis and in 2001 was placed as a PRO of the Vice Chancellor on probation, whose services were regularised in 2003, the Vigilance Organisation said in an official press note issued here.

The verification also revealed that while processing the case of Sanjay Sharma for putting him in the selection grade, experience of a private institute — Model Institute of Education and Research from 1997 to 2000 — was arbitrarily taken into account and considered in the active service of Sanjay Sharma with the varsity, it added.

The verification further disclosed that a fake and forged approval shown issued by the then Vice Chancellor Nagendra Sharma was made a basis for conferring selection grade on Sanjay Sharma.

In order to confer illegal benefit on Sanjay Sharma, officials wilfully twisted and distorted rules and without competence and power created a non-existent post of the Deputy Registrar (Secrecy), stated the press note.

Consequently, the Vigilance Organisation investigations revealed that the officials of SKUAST-Jammu while in active connivance with each other had knowingly and dishonestly forged documents and records and used the same as genuine and placed the beneficiary in the selection grade for which the beneficiary was not eligible.

It has also been found that in order to conceal this illegal act, relevant record has been destroyed.

By acting in aforesaid manner Dr B Mishra, the then Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu, BB Gupta the then Registrar, Tarsem Raj, the then Assistant Registrar, in league with each other and with beneficiary Sanjay Sharma and others have abused their official position and dishonestly and knowingly conferred undue benefit upon the beneficiary.

Accordingly a case was registered by the Vigilance Organisation, Jammu, under Sections 5 (1)(d) and 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act and Sections 120-B, ,468, 471 and 201 of the RPC.