Bhopal: Kuthiala once again under lens as EOW reopens case of Illegal appointments and financial anomalies at MCU

Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh): The EOW has reopened the case and initiated a probe into the financial anomalies and recruitment irregularities at Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication (MCU) during the 15-year tenure of former Vice Chancellor Brijkishore Kuthiala, officials said on Wednesday.

 Economic Offences Wing (EOW), DG director general issued orders to re-open the case after the special court (EOW) rejected the closure report the agency submitted in 2021 giving clean chit to all 19 accused including former Vice Chancellor Brijkishore Kuthiala in connection with the irregularities committed at the MCU between 2003 and 2018. 

EOW, DG Ajay Sharma told Free Press the court on April 13 had given the orders to reopen the case and institute fresh probe into the anomalies investigation. The Court has instructed on the four major points on which the probe has to be conducted by the investigation officer (IO).

In the order, the court has instructed that the IO should look into the appointments made during the period. All the documents should be matched with the original papers. The IO will have to strictly check and verify if the rules and norms were followed while making the appointment.

“The case is related to the illegal appointments at the university bypassing the norms, recruitment violating the implementation of the SC/ST appointment roster, financial irregularities committed by the VC, allocation of funds in violation of the norms and many others anomalies conducted at the varsity between the year 2003 and 2018,” the DG said.

IO appointed to conduct fresh probe: The superintendent of police (SP) Rajesh Mishra said IO has been appointed and the investigation based on the court’s instructions has begun.

Court had found some of the key points missing in the investigation conducted by the EOW earlier and also in the closure report and now in the fresh probe all the missing links will be connected, said Mishra. The investigation will be carried on the points mentioned by the court and the probe will take time to complete, said the officer.

The EOW had carried out a probe against 20 people including former VC Brijkishore Kuthiala and Director General of Indian Institute of Mass Communication Sanjay Dwivedi in connection with irregularities in recruitments. Two of the accused have passed away.

It is alleged that disregarding the norms, Kuthiala and others appointed their near-and-dear ones illegally on posts reserved for ST, ST and OBC.

A three-member inquiry committee was constituted by the then Kamal Nath government in 2018 to look into the anomalies during Kuthiala’s 15-year tenure as a vice chancellor.

The then Chief Secretary Gopal Reddy headed the committee, which had Congress leader Bhupendra Gupta as its member.