The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has registered a case of fraud and financial irregularities against B K Kuthiala, a former vice-chancellor of a Bhopal-based government-run journalism university, a senior officer said on Sunday.
Kuthiala, who had served as the VC of the Makhanlal Chaturvedi Rashtriya Patrakarita Evam Sanchar Vishwavidyalaya, has been booked for charges including fraud, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy along with 18 other officials and employees.
He was also booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
EOW Additional Director General (ADG) K N Tiwari said the government had constituted a three-member committee of senior IAS officer M Gopal Reddy, ex-Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to CM Bhupendra Gupta, and Sandeep Dixit to probe alleged irregularities in January, which submitted its report last month.
"On the basis of this report, the university registrar has written a letter to the EOW in which the irregularities committed by Kuthiala, who was the VC from 2008 to 2018, are mentioned," Tiwari told a news channel.
He said most of these alleged irregularities are related to appointments and recruitment of ineligible persons through a wrong procedure and for hiding truth.
"Secondly, there are financial irregularities like the one in which Kuthiala availed medical reimbursement from the varsity in violation of the government rules," Tiwari said.
The ADG further said Kuthiala had booked a ticket for himself and his wife from the varsity fund for participating in a conference in London.
However, when the matter came to light, Kuthiala deposited this money back to the University Fund five months after the visit.
Tiwari said the inquiry report also mentioned that Kuthiala availed reimbursement for liquor consumption bills.
"He also got a liquor cabinet constructed and the payment of the same was made from the university fund," the officer said.
Kuthiala could not be reached for reaction.
Meanwhile, state BJP spokesman Rahul Kothari said the inquiry committee was illegal as it included leaders of the ruling Congress party.
"This is an effort to divert attention of the media from the information coming out after the income tax raid (on aides of chief minister Kamal Nath). The FIR was illegally filed without seeking permission from the Election Commission," Kothari claimed.
State Congress Media Cell vice president Bhupendra Gupta, who is one of the members of the committee, said they found several criminal irregularities during the inquiry.
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