300 academicians approach vice-prez for quashing of FIR against varsity's ex-VC

As many as 300 academicians have approached Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, seeking his intervention for quashing of a criminal case against former vice-chancellor and 18 officials of Bhapal-based Makhanlal Chaturvedi University.

The FIR had been lodged by the Economic Offences Wing of Madhya Pradesh Police on a complaint by the governing council chairman of the Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication.

The police has booked former Vice-Chancellor B K Kuthiala of the University along with 18 other officials on charges of fraud and criminal breach of trust.

"We are rudely surprised and shocked at the MCNUJC's Governing Council's chairman instructing the registrar of the university to lodge an FIR against the former vice-chancellor and twenty existing faculty members on various uninvestigated and unproved charges," the letter stated.

Extreme steps, such as lodging an FIR against university teachers, can and must logically follow an adequate enquiry and a notice seeking explanation, it said.

Even after that, as good practice, a full-fledged impartial enquiry must be held because the concerned people are university teachers and highly responsible citizens, it stated.

"We are afraid that this hasty action of the MCNUJC governing council chairman would be seen as smacking of political vendetta," the letter said.

Since the requisite procedures have not been followed, the action is clearly untenable and will necessarily lead to prolonged litigation to the detriment of the academics of the University, the letter added.