VB seizes five-year record from university
CONTROVERSIAL Appointments during Arora’s tenure under scanner; VB calls experts to recover email sent to exVC by pvt firm on the basis of which he recruited 12 coordinators
KAPURTHALA: A day after the arrest of former vice-chancellor of Inder Kumar Gujral Punjab Technical University (PTU) Rajneesh Arora, the vigilance bureau (VB) on Tuesday seized records of five years from the university to examine the alleged irregularities in appointments and financial bungling during his tenure.
“We have seized most of the record from 2011 to 2015 from the university. The documents will be scanned to know Arora’s role in financial bungling and hiring consultants and faculty members by bypassing norms,” DSP vigilance Karamvir Singh said.
He said more documents would be collected on Wednesday. The VB is also taking help of a technical team to recover the email sent by a Delhi-based consultancy firm — NETiiT — on the id of the director in-charge, on the basis of which Arora recruited 12 coordinators and facilitators in 2014.
Vigilance officials said they are investigating the deals and favours Arora gave to NETiit during his tenure.
According to the VB, Arora allegedly favoured the consultancy firm and the university paid the firm almost ₹25 crore during his tenure.
The previous SAD-BJP government appointed Arora, who is associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), as the V-C in 2008 for three years and his tenure was extended by another three years.
Besides financial bungling, Arora is accused of ignoring merit while appointing faculty members. According to the inquiry, those close to the RSS and BJP leaders were selected, including Geetika Sood, daughter of former minister and political adviser of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal Tikshan Sood, and Dharinder Tayal, son of slain BJP leader Babu Hit Abhilashi.
“After being booked, five employees, including Vishwadeep, Marginder Singh, Sumeer Sharma, Ashish Sharma and Geetika Sood, remained absent from the office on Tuesday,” A PTU official said.
The DSP said no other arrest has been made so far in the case and they would take action against the other accused after examining the records.
As per the FIR, Arora recruited six coordinators and facilitators without giving any advertisement in the newspaper and paid ₹2.73 crore (2012-13) and ₹6.53 crore (2013-14) to them.
Later, the university gave advertisement for 12 F&C posts but appointed the employees without considering the recommendation of committee set up to select the candidates, who were fulfilling the requisite conditions.
“The eligible candidates were ignored,” revealed the FIR. Arora appointed his friend Parveen Kumar consulted of NETiit against norms. Then chief secretary had told the high court that appointment of consultant will be cancelled immediately but V-C didn’t quash the post.
Geetika Sood (legal officer) had not attached any document with her application which could prove her experience having worked in office or in university as a legal practitioner. But she was hired without having the requisite experience certificate, the FIR states.
Similarly, vigilance found that some other employees had also been hired against the recommendation of Board of Governors by Arora during his tenure of six years.