Woes mount for vice chancellor

PATNA: The Bihar Police would soon move court to obtain a nonbailable warrant against Magadh University vice chancellor Rajendra Prasad who is facing charges of corruption, a top police officer said on Wednesday, a day after the Patna high court rejected Prasad’s anticipatory bail petition as well as his plea that the case against him be quashed.

Additional director general (ADG) of police NH Khan, who heads Bihar Police’s special vigilance unit (SVU) which is probing the case, said the agency would soon be moving court seeking a non-bailable warrant against the VC, who has been on medical leave ever since raids were carried out at his office and Gorakhpur residence in November last year.

Prasad’s three-year term ends in September this year.

On Tuesday, the bench of Justice Ashutosh Kumar had rejected Prasad’s plea that the FIR lodged by the SVU be quashed “on the sole ground that it is in derogation of the newly added Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which provides for a prior sanction of the competent authority to remove the petitioner from his office, before inquiring or investigating into any offence alleged to have been committed by him in his capacity as VC”.

Prasad had also filed an anticipatory bail plea, which too was rejected by the HC.

Meanwhile, turmoil prevails in Magadh University, whose pro-VC Vibhuti Nayan Singh resigned last month. The positions of registrar, exam controller and finance officer are also under additional charge. The registrar and the library in-charge were arrested by the Vigilance sleuths earlier for not cooperating in the probe against the VC, who is accused of committing serious financial irregularities.

POLICE WOULD SOON MOVE COURT TO GET WARRANT AGAINST MU V-C WHO IS FACING GRAFT CHARGES