Arrest warrant against private varsity's chief in Meghalaya

A Meghalaya court Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants against CMJ University's chancellor Chandra Mohan Jha and two others in connection with the alleged forgery and irregularities committed by the institution, a lawyer said.

"The court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant and search warrant against Jha under penal provisions for forgery and cheating, among others," Public Prosecutor I.C. Jha told reporters.

The public prosecutor said the court also issued warrant against the private university's director Manjeet Kaur and human resource manager Juban Kharpuri.

Both Kaur and Kharpuri have allegedly gone into hiding after the court of the district and sessions judge rejected their application for anticipatory bail plea May 8.

Last week, sleuths of the criminal investigation department (CID) arrested the university's registrar Mrinal Kanti Deb and his deputy Premlal Rai.

The CID officials have not been able to interrogate them as they were admitted in government-run hospital with health problems.

"We have not been able to arrest them (chancellor Jha, Kaur and Kharpuri) since they have absconded," Inspector General of Police, in-charge CID, B.R. Rana, told IANS.

The private university in the state capital hit media headlines after Governor R.S. Mooshahary, who is also the visitor of the university, exposed alleged irregularities in its functioning.

The university has created a record of sorts by awarding doctorate degrees to 434 candidates in the 2012-13 academic year, and enrolled 490 students for the programme during 2012-13, even as only 10 of its faculty members have doctorate degrees, police said.