CBI interim report says AMU VC committed financial impropriety

The Central Bureau of Investigation is believed to have found that Aligarh Muslim University Vice-Chancellor P K Abdul Azis had committed financial impropriety and knowingly claimed allowances for which he was not entitled.

The agency, in its interim report submitted to Union human resources development ministry, has said it would take a final view on these findings and other allegations once it completes the inquiry, CBI sources said.

When contacted, AMU Registrar Prof V K Abdul Jaleel told PTI, "We have not received copy of any interim report by the CBI. Hence, there is nothing to comment".

In its report, the CBI concluded that the vice-chancellor whose tenure is ending on January 17 "committed financial impropriety and claimed TA on first joining, Home Town Concession when it was very well knowledge that he was not entitled for the same."

Azis had submitted bills worth Rs 81,654 for the travel of him and his family from Cochin to New Delhi and of Rs 93,053 for travel of his family from New Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram.

As per the existing AMU rules, he was not entitled for claim of Rs 93,053, the CBI said in its report. CBI sources said it has found payment of personal income tax worth Rs 82,356 of the vice-chancellor and Rs 44,315 of V K Abdul Jaleel, Registrar from the University funds and their recovery in 11 interest-free monthly installments was "irregular and extension of undue favour to himself."

"I had filed the complaint against him. We demand that inquiry should be conducted into his past background as well. We will request the President as well as the HRD ministry to take cognisance of this report," Member of the University Court and former MP, Wasim Ahmed said on the development.

The agency, which was asked by the HRD Ministry to probe nearly 40 allegations, is concentrating on 24 of them while it returned 16 to the University because they are administrative in nature, the sources said.

The CBI probed allegations related to travel concession for family, income tax payment from University funds and purchase of luxury cars.

On the other hand, the AMU Teachers' Association (AMUTA) has welcomed reports suggesting that the CBI had in its interim report indicted the VC, Registrar and other senior officials on several charges of financial impropriety.

The AMUTA had decided to hold a hunger strike on January 14 to press for its demand for "immediate removal of top University officials including the vice-chancellor".

The association which held an emergency meeting on Wednesday night in Aligarh to review latest developments at the campus passed a resolution urging the Central government to immediately sack the VC on the basis of the interim CBI report.

Secretary of the AMUTA, Prof Mustafa Zaidi told reporters that if the UPA government wished to salvage its moral authority and its constitutional obligation on the issue of corruption in institutions of higher education, then it should immediately makeup for the lost time by taking urgent follow up steps on the interim CBI report.

The resolution passed by the teachers also demanded that the VC and other senior officials allegedly involved in financial irregularities should be denied retirement benefits till all charges are decided by the court.

In a separate letter to the Vice-Chancellor, Zaidi expressed his pain and anguish over the fact that things had come to such a state that the University had to face the ignominy of an incumbent vice-chancellor "facing such charges".