Memorandum seeking action on corrupt official Dr. Hariharan of Pondicherry University

The Memorandum sent to Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry University Ms. Chandra Krishnamurthy and others on 05.08.2013 regarding action on a Corrupt Official:

To
The Vice-Chancellor,
Pondicherry University,
Puducherry.

Respected Madam,

Sub: The CBI, ACB, Chennai has filed a case against Dr. S. Hariharan, presently
working as Dean, College Development Council, Pondicherry University and
others that they have entered in to a conspiracy and cheated the AICTE in
extending the approval of J.A. Institute of Engineering Technology (JAIET) run by St. Alfred Educational Trust at Chennai – Dr. S. Hariharan and Members of AICTE Expert Committee also benefited and willfully acted favouring the Trust violating the norms of AICTE – The Trust Management forged all the relevant documents and managed to get the AICTE approval for the JAIET – The said CBI case was pending at trail stage for long period – The CBI had sent a letter requesting the Pondicherry University authority to give ‘Sanction for Prosecution’ – The University authorities are willfully delaying in giving the ‘Sanction for Prosecution’ and thus protecting the officer listed as accused in the FIR from the clutches of law – Request to take steps to send the ‘Sanction
for Prosecution’ immediately – Request to place the accused officer under
suspension until the case concludes – Also relieve him from the sensitive post
of Dean of the College Development Council and other Committees – Reg.

Ref:

1) RC 48 (A) / 2009, CBI, ACB, Chennai – U/s 120-B r/w 420, 467, 468, 471
IPC and Sec. 13 (2) r/w 13(1)(d) of P.C. Act 1988.

2) Letter No. C1/ RC 48(A)/2009/CBI/AC/CHEN dated 08.12.2010.

***

Federation for People’s Rights (FPR), Puducherry is an organization working for Human, Civil and Social Rights since 1989. We wish your good self for assumed the charge as Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry University and request your kind attention on this vital issue which degrades the fame of the profound University.

In 2009, the office of the CBI, ACB, Chennai has filed a case (Ref. No. 1) against Dr. S. Hariharan, presently posted as Dean, College Development Council, Pondicherry University and few others for the offence of entering in to a conspiracy and cheating the AICTE in connection with the grant of extension of approval of J.A. Institute of Engineering and Technology (JAIET) at Cheyyar Taluk in Tamilnadu.

‘St. Alfred Educational Trust’ applied to AICTE to start an Engineering College in the name of ‘J.A. Institute of Engineering and Technology College’ in Parukkal Village, Cheyyar Taluk, Chengalpet District in Tamilnadu. Based on this, the AICTE had sent an ‘Expert Committee’ to inspect and examine the requirements prescribed by the AICTE to run an Engineering College.

The AICTE ‘Expert Committee’ inspected the residential site at Koyempedu in Chennai instead of the said Parukkal site, knowing well that the site was not quoted in the application and submitted its ‘Inspection Report’ recommending the AICTE to approve the said Engineering College, contrary to the AICTE norms and standards. They have totally concealed the material facts and submitted a false report and made the AICTE to take a wrong decision. Based on this report, the AICTE approved the said JAIET and allowed for intake of total 180 students.

Consequently, the AICTE had sent two committees to the said JAIET sites at Koyempedu and Parukkal and they strongly recommended the AICTE to withhold the admissions due to insufficient infrastructure and academic facilities which has exposed the corrupt intent of the previous committee member. Based on this report, the AICTE ordered for reducing the intake of student’s from 180 to 120. Following this, the Anna University had disaffiliated the JAIET for the deficiencies and recommended the AICTE to withdraw its approval in 2003–2004. Accordingly, the AICTE took action and placed the said college in ‘No Admission Category’.

In 2004, the Trust Management indulged in lot of irregularities and illegal activities to get AICTE approval for the JAIET. The Trust Management forged the land documents to satisfy the minimum requirement of land for the college as per the AICTE norms, as if they possess 5.45 acres of land for the college in survey no. 186/2 in Koyempadu. They further forged the two FDRs for showing the financial status of the said Trust. They appointed one Mr. M.S. Ragunathan as the Principal of the JAIET knowing well that he is having only B.E. Degree and created forged Degree Certificates for M.E. and Ph.D. The Trust Management has forged the No Objection Certificate (NOC) of Government of Tamilnadu and Madras University as if they were issued to JAIET at Koyempedu for the purpose of getting AICTE approval.

The Trust Management submitted its ‘Compliance Report’ with all these false information and forged documents to AICTE with the intention to get approval. The AICTE authorities have approved the JAIET for the academic year of 2004–2005, without taking in to the consideration of the earlier ‘Expert Committee Report.’ The Anna University also affiliated the JAIET for the academic year 2004–2005.

The Trust Management submitted an application to AICTE attaching all these forged documents for the change of temporary site at Koyempedu as permanent site during 2005–2006. Based on this, the AICTE again sent an ‘Expert Committee’ to inspect and submit a report for the purpose of change of site and extension of approval. The said committee inspected the college on 25.06.2005 for physical verification of academic facilities and verification of original documents submitted. Then the ‘Expert Committee’ submitted its report to AICTE, stating ‘the present site is suitable for permanent site’ without any proper verification and intentionally aided the AICTE to accord extension of approval to JAIET. The Trust Management got a favourable order from AICTE for the change of the site i.e. Koyempedu as permanent site in 2009.

The said Dr. S. Hariharan, was one of the ‘Expert Committee’ member of AICTE and he and others were benefited and knowledgeably favoured the said Trust to get extension of approval of AICTE for the JAIET.

In this context, the CBI, ACB, Chennai had filed a case against 13 persons including the said Dr. S. Hariharan in 2009 (Ref. No. 2) under Sections 120-B r/w 420, 467, 471 IPC and 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of Protection of Corruption Act 1988. After the completion of the investigation, the CBI prepared the charge sheet and sent a letter addressed to the Vice Chancellor, Pondicherry University, to sign and send the ‘Sanction for Prosecution’ for launching the prosecution process against the said accused Dr. S. Hariharan on 08.12.2010 (Ref. No. 3).

Unfortunately, the previous Vice Chancellor, who is the sanction authority to issue the ‘Sanction for Prosecution’ replied to the CBI denying the sanction saying vague and without valid reasons. Meanwhile, our Federation came to know about the said case and we immediately shooted out a petition to the DIG, CBI, ACB, Chennai on 23.01.2013 requesting him to intervene in to this issue. We came to know from the reliable sources that the CBI after receiving our petition acted very swiftly and again sent a letter to the present Vice Chancellor seeking ‘Sanction for Prosecution’ in last week of January 2013.

We point out here that the Vice Chancellor never turned up for this letter and the said file was freezes under cold storage for last 6 months. We strongly say that the Vice Chancellor, who is the Sanction Authority, is protecting the officer who have committed a grave criminal offence defrand the public authority with misleading information which formed the basis for AICTE to take wrong decision.

It is also shocking that the said felonious officer was offered additional charge of the Dean, College Development Council of the University by the Vice Chancellor. It is the Council which should form the Expert Committees to inspect the colleges affiliated to the University and to monitor whether they are complying with the University and other Statutory Bodies norms and standards and also to provide affiliation to the new colleges. He was also appointed in 9 very important committees of the University. The Vice Chancellor’s act of appointing Dr. S. Hariharan as Dean to this sensitive department is widely criticized and it exposes the attitude of the Vice Chancellor openly supporting a man without clean hands and facing a criminal case.

We also bring to your good self’s knowledge that Dr. S. Hariharan’s performance as the Director of UGC – Academic Staff College is also not appreciable. During his tenure the said college went to 26th ranking in NAAC due to his maladministration, which was in first rank in 1998.

So, we request your authority to intervene in to this vital issue and take steps to clear the file and send the ‘Sanction for Prosecution’ to CBI immediately and place the accused officer under suspension until the case concludes and also relieve him from the sensitive post of Dean of College Development Council and Member of other committees.

We humbly say here that we expect your good self’s immediate action in this regard and otherwise we have no other option to organize agitation against the University and simultaneously legal action in the High Court of Madras.

Thanking You.
Yours truly,

(G. SUGUMARAN)
Secretary.

The copy of the same was also sent to

1. His Excellency President of India, Rastrapathy Bhavan, New Delhi.
2. Honourable Home Minister, MHA, New Delhi.
3. Honourable Minister of Human Resource Development, MHRD, New Delhi.
4. The Home Secretary, MHA, New Delhi.
5. The Secretary (Human Resource Development), MHRD, New Delhi.
6. The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), CBI, ACB, Chennai.

 

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