B.K. Kuthiala
An FIR was registered against B.K. Kuthiala, former vice-chancellor of the Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism (MCU) in Bhopal, on Sunday for alleged fraud.
Kuthiala, who had faced charges of 'saffronising' the MCU—the first journalism university in the country—was booked by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Madhya Pradesh Police.
He was booked on charges of appointment of ineligible persons as faculty members, misappropriation of funds for personal use and grants to ineligible organisations and criminal conspiracy. In all, 18 persons have been booked in this case.
Superintendent of police (SP) of EOW, Arun Mishra, told media that the FIR was registered after a preliminary inquiry into a complaint filed by university registrar Deependra Singh Baghel.
Baghel's complaint was accompanied by the inquiry report of a three-member committee constituted by the Congress-led state government in January this year.
The FIR accuses Kuthiala of using university funds for purchase of liquor and making of a liquor cabinet and taking wife to foreign tour in violation of rules.
Ineligible grant of Rs 8 lakh was given to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Rs 9.5 lakh for the Rashtriya Gyan Samagam, the inquiry report mentions.
The report also says that RSS ideologues were appointed as guest faculty and huge payments, even up to Rs 10 lakh, were made to them.
The ex-VC had been accused of 'saffronising' the university during his ten-year tenure that ended in January 2018, during the BJP rule. There have been strong protests against his way of functioning.
Kuthiala, who is close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), was appointed the VC of the journalism university during Shivraj Chouhan's regime.
According to an ex-student, during Kuthiala's tenure, the university campus had become a fertile ground for right-wing politics. From plans of a cow shed to a sloganeering over construction of Ram Temple and putting up of posters to participate in Sant Samagan at Ayodhya, the university campus saw it all, he said.
Congress had promised to take tough action on the happenings during its election rallies and an inquiry committee was constituted right after the government was formed.
