March 05, 2019:

A probe committee, headed by a retired judge, has recommended FIR against 9 professors and non-teaching staff of NLIU in Bhopal for allegedly helping students get fake degrees.

The panel has also show-caused six others - both teaching and non-teaching staff - to explain why disciplinary action shouldn't be initiated against them.

The Justice A K Gohil panel presented its investigation report to the general council on Saturday.

The report says a nexus between NLIU staffers manipulated marks and helped failed students receive fake degrees from 1998 to 2013.

One such student of the 2010 batch flunked in 47 subjects in 14 trimesters but received pass certificate for all subjects. In all, the committee found that a whopping 188 failed students were given degrees, and has recommended action against 101 of them whose case is of “serious nature”.

The panel was set up by the then Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court, Hemant Gupta, in 2017 to investigate complaints that fake degrees were being issued to failed students for years.

Recommending criminal proceedings on the accused professors and non-teaching staff, Justice Gohil in his report says, “Looking at the statements and admission of witnesses, and also considering the record of examination section, it is clear that manipulations were done in the records of examination section by way of changing and increasing marks of students.”

The committee found that marks were manipulated “without any basis or supporting documents”.

“Changes have been made by overwriting, cutting, rubbing and by application of fluid and whitener, mostly in the tabulation chart,” the report says.

Through this method, the scores of several failed students were converted into ‘pass marks’, it says.

“Undue favour has been extended to them,” the report adds. It states it as a “clear case of forgery, fraud and creating false documents to make changes in the genuine record of the university under a criminal conspiracy”.

Justice Gohil concludes his report with a stern recommendation, “Under the compelling circumstances, I have no option but to recommend that this is a fit case, in the interest of reputation of the university, to initiate FIR on nine employees, including professors and non-teaching staff.”

Higher education minister Jeetu Patwari told TOI that all the recommendations of the probe committee shall be implemented. It was the first time that a state higher education minister participated in the NLIU general council meeting.

“My stand is very clear. The committee has submitted its report and action will be taken. Whatever happened in the past will not be allowed to happen again on the campus,” Patwari told.

Ranjit Singh, who was removed as assistant registrar last year, said, “I am fighting the case in high court. I have no idea about the Gohil committee report.”

Library assistant Binoy Singh said his name was put on the report “because he is Ranjit Singh’s brother”.

Prof Tapan Mohanty said: “I have no idea about my name in the probe committee. Let’s see what happens.” Assistant registrar Ravi Pandey said: “I can’t comment about it at this stage as the general council meeting took place today only.”

Former NLIU employee Rajshekhar would only say that he had recorded his statement before the Gohil committee.

Former exam superintendent, Prof U P Singh said: “I had recorded my statement in front of committee but I can’t say any more as I have no idea about my name in the report.”

Exam section employee Kamlesh Shrivas refused to comment, saying, “Please talk to higher authorities.”

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