Over more than two years of investigation into the Punjab Technical University's multi-crore scam, the Vigilance Bureau has now lodged a closure report in the case on August 3. Reportedly, the case titled "state vs unknown" has been filed in the Kapurthala Court.
“If the charge-sheet would be filed in court in the case, there is dim possibility of its success, which would waste the time of court,” reads the closure report that Hoshiarpur vigilance deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Dalbir Singh has filed in the Kapurthala court.
The case, however, pertained to alleged major financial irregularities, worth around Rs 40 crore, and administrative lapses during the tenure of the then PTU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr. Rajneesh Arora. VB in the FIR alleged that former Arora had not only appointed six out of 12 Coordinators and Facilitators (C&F) in the university without any public advertisement regarding these recruitments in 2012-13 but had also ignored the recommendations of the selection committee of PTU. Interestingly, the FIR had clearly mentioned the names of the accused.
The vigilance FIR claimed that Arora made a payment of Rs 25 crore from the varsity to a private company, M/S NETiiT, as counseling fees, without following financial rules. VB has also probed the claim of Arora appointing six coordinators and facilitators, arbitrarily, without publishing any advertisement and of paying Rs 9.3 crore to them over two years. However, the closure report says that the recruitment was either as per rules as no evidence could be found for the police file.
Arora was also accused of causing a loss of Rs 1.6 crore to the varsity by opening the office of the Indian Institute of Excellence Programme in Delhi. The closure report, however, says that there was no audit note, reflecting that there was wastage of Rs 1.6 crore. On this basis, the vigilance gave a clean chit to Arora. On the vigilance closure report, the additional and district sessions court has issued notice to all 10 accused for September 16.
In the closure report, the vigilance says that the board of governors of the varsity had accepted the audit reports, after being put up before the finance committee. “As per the probe so far, neither any connivance has been found nor has there been any personnel benefit to Arora, which caused any financial loss to the varsity,” the closure report says.
The cancelation report was presented in the court of Additional Session Judge Kapurthala on August 3. In its August 7 order, the court said that the cancelation report has been received, and added that Karamveer Singh, DSP, the complainant has appeared in the court.
The case was registered after a probe conducted by IAS (retd) SS Dhillon, on May 8, 2017, by the then Punjab Technical Education Secretary Kahan Singh Pannu. Pannu, while holding additional charge of PTU V-C, had noticed a large number of irregularities at PTU during the period of Dr. Arora as VC from 2008 to 2014.
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In the case, the VB never presented a challan in the court against the alleged accused in all these years and has now filed a cancellation report. Dr. Arora was the only person who was arrested in this case who was later released on bail. Nine other accused, including kin of RSS and BJP leaders, were never arrested by VB.
The case was registered by VB, Jalandhar Range and then transferred to the Economic Offences Wing of the VB, Jalandhar. First DSP, VB, Kapurthala (Jalandhar Range) Karamveer Singh was an Investigating Officer (IO) of the case and the main complainant. Then SP Parveen Kanda of EOW VB started the investigation and finally other DSP VB was asked to conduct the investigation following which cancellation report was filed.
Meanwhile, on the petition of a Hoshiarpur resident, Satbir Singh, who prayed that investigation in the case is not moving forward, Punjab & Haryana High Court has also asked to submit a "Status Report" of the case in the HC.