SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, March 6: Dumka-based Sido Kanhu Murmu University (SKMU) Vice-Chancellor Dr Sonajharia Minz is in the eye of storm for protecting the principal of Deoghar College Deoghar embroiled in corruption charges.
As per a complaint, the salary of a JAC employee Baleshwar Majhi had been withdrawn in Deoghar College Deoghar on alleged forged signature for 30 months after he left the institution, where he was on deputation.
Baleshwar, a resident of Ranchi, left his job in Deoghar College Deoghar in March 2020 in the wake of the Corona pandemic.
But in September 2022 Baleshwar came to know that his salary was being withdrawn in the college through his fake signature. Baleshwar Majhi’s salary was Rs 4500 in 2020 when he left the job. But later it was increased to Rs 6000 per month in his absence.
He lodged a complaint about it to the Governor and the V-C SKMU demanding proper probe into the forgery. Baleshwar Majhi alleged that he did not work in the college but from March 2020 to September 2022 his salary was withdrawn through his forged signature.
The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) also lodged a complaint to Governor Ramesh Bais on December 5 last year for an inquiry against the principal. The Raj Bhawan directed the SKMU V-C on December 21 to conduct a probe into allegations levelled by Baleshwar Majhi against the principal.
On directive of the Governor, V-C Sonajharia Minz set up a three-member committee under the then BSK College Barharwa ( Sahibganj) principal Dr SK Singh to probe the charges. Dr Anil Kumar Verma, associate professor PG department and Dr Rajiv Kumar, finance officer (FO) of the university were other members.
Besides setting up the committee, the V-C duly transferred Deoghar College principal Dr Basant Kumar Gupta to Godda College with seizing his financial power. The sources said the committee held the principal Gupta responsible for salary forgery of Baleshwar Majhi.
ABVP Deoghar district coordinator Prasant Shankar, who had lodged the complaint to the Governor, alleged that first the V-C
transferred the principal to Godda College with seizing his financial power as punishment but later despite the committee having given an adverse report against him, she transferred him to BSK College Barharwa, Sahibganj as principal with financial power.
“ These actions show the V-C is protecting Dr Basant Kumar Gupta. If the university authority fails to initiate action against him for financial forgery, we will launch an agitation,” said ABVP coordinator Prasant Sahankar.
The sources said the V-C instead of sending the probe report directly to the Governor, broke the seal of the envelop to see the report. Even Pro- Vice –chancellor Dr Bimal Prasad Singh had asked to file an FIR against Dr Gupta under Section 10 (3) of the
Jharkhand State Universities Act ( amended upto date) instead of appointing him as principal of BSK College Barharwa. .
“Instead of filing the FIR against Principal Dr Gupta on the basis of the probe committee report, the V-C called a meeting of the disciplinary committee, which she heads herself to dump the legal action against principal Dr Gupta,” said a senior authority of university..
A senior teacher of SKMU university said that transfer of Governor Ramesh Bais from Jharkhand and arrival of new Governor CP Radhakrishnan has given temporary relief to Dr Gupta.
Repeated efforts to contact the VC to get her comment on the issue failed.
