KL Report
SRINAGAR
At a time when former BOPEE Chairman Mushtaq Ahmad Peer who also headed the Centre of Computer Sciences in Kashmir University for years is grilled and nailed for his wrong doings, scores of teachers working in the varsity are demanding stern action against those teachers and officials who according to them are involved in various scandals.
There is no denying the fact that the University authorities appointed various Committees against such teachers and officials at different times, but, unfortunately according to reports, these committees for one reason or the other failed in fixing the responsibility.
Reliable sources told Srinagar based News gathering agency CNS that at least half a dozen teachers including Wardens and former officials of Kashmir University are facing corruption charges.
A senior Professor of varsity wishing not to be named told CNS that “the former Registrar of Kashmir University Prof. Mehraj-ud-Din who is presently working as HOD Law in Central University was involved in an embezzlement worth crores of rupees. The said Professor looted the public money in a big way. It was a serious issue and the case had been taken up by the Vigilance Organization of Kashmir,” he said adding that the concerned official utilized all his resources and was successful in shelving the case against him.
The senior Professor further said that it would be appropriate if instead of Vigilance the Crime Branch would look into the matter.
When contacted Prof. Mehraj-ud-Din told CNS that he can’t respond to these allegations leveled against him by a Professor who wished not to be named. “My hands are clean and I have nothing to do with it. It is Vigilance Organization Kashmir which can give you the factual position,” he said.
A top Vigilance official said that he is new to the Department and does not know whether case relating to particular person was lying with the VOK or not.
Insiders in University said that another senior Professor Muhammad Yasin Shah who is also the Dean, Applied Science and Technology is also facing corruption charges. Reports revealed that Shah has grabbed a huge amount that was granted to the varsity by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The department has constituted a Technical Committee to examine the alleged fraud. Director, SRC Prof. Muhammad Akbar Khuroo is also examining the case. When contacted Prof M. Y. Shah told CNS that, “nothing has been established by the Committee as he had processed the UGC documents in a routine manner”. “There is no inquiry as everything has been cleared,” he said.
Highly placed sources told CNS that an Associate Professor of Law Department Dr Muhammad Hussain in the capacity of tour in charge has grabbed lakhs of rupees from the Department. After returning from tour along with the students in 2010, he could not produce satisfactory documents related to the expenditure to Professor Lateef, the then HOD Law. Consequent upon two enquiry committees were appointed by the concerned department in order to fix the responsibility but all in vain.
Despite repeated attempts Dr Muhammad Hussain did not pick up the phone.
Moreover, the reliable sources added that during the tenure of Prof. Gull Muhammad Wani, Prof. Shad Ramzan and Dr. Muhammad Hussain as Wardens, embezzlement cases involving lakhs of rupees surfaced in the Mehboob-ul-Alam, Boys Hostel, Naseem Bagh.
“No doubt several enquiry committees were appointed to investigate the matter but all of them failed in fixing the responsibility. All the committees have preferred to shift the responsibility in order to avoid animosity with the persons involved in the scandal,” one of the senior Professors of Varsity told CNS adding that currently, the file is pending for the last one year with Prof. Mohammad Ashraf Wani, Dean, Social Sciences and there is no action at all.
Professor Gull Muhammad Wani confirmed that file is pending with Professor Wani. However, he said that it was he, who ordered the enquiry into it.
“It was me who ordered the enquiry without actually raising fingers at anyone. I ordered the enquiry because I was Provost of University that time,” Prof Gull said.
Professor Shad Ramzan told CNS that State as well as University level audits were conducted in this regard which absolved all the Wardens. “Somebody is trying to blow the issue out of proportion and is unnecessarily dragging me into this case,” he said.
Vice Chancellor, Kashmir University, Professor Talat Ahmed said that he will look into the matter. “It is not on my finger tips but I will see what happened to the inquiry if it is undertaken against any official,” he said.
