Ex-minister backs former PTU V-C

AMRITSAR: Former Technical Education Minister Anil Joshi said here today that former Punjab Technical University (PTU) Vice Chancellor Dr Rajneesh Arora had paid the price for breaking the back of the “education mafia”, which had been operating on a large scale in distance education till 2012.

Anil Joshi (R)

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 12

Former Technical Education Minister Anil Joshi said here today that former Punjab Technical University (PTU) Vice Chancellor Dr Rajneesh Arora had paid the price for breaking the back of the “education mafia”, which had been operating on a large scale in distance education till 2012. The BJP leader demanded a CBI inquiry into the misdeeds of the “mafia”.

Joshi said corrupt officials had conspired against Arora after the change of guard in the state. He added that the University Grants Commission (UGC) had taken a serious note of many gross violations.

“With the involvement of the Dean, Distance Education, and the Examination Branch, PTU issued a large number of fake degrees during 2010-12 through distance education by opening more than 2,500 learning centres across India. The racket was operated through a network of regional centres,” Joshi said.

Arora in judicial custody

Jalandhar: The court of the Additional Sessions Judge, Kapurthala, today sent Rajneesh Arora to 14-day judicial remand.

Arrested from his residence in Amritsar on Monday, Arora was in the remand of the Vigilance Bureau for his alleged involvement in financial irregularities, questionable appointments and administrative lapses.

He was booked under Sections 409 and 120-B of the IPC and Section 13(1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The case was based on the findings of an inquiry report by former IAS officer SS Dhillon.

As his remand got over today, the Vigilance Bureau did not seek any extension. “Since the entire inquiry is based on documents, most of which we had already procured, we did not require his further remand,” said Jalandhar Vigilance Bureau SSP Diljinder S Dhillon. Arora will be in judicial custody till January 25.

The Vigilance officials who quizzed him during interrogation said Arora did not confess to having extended favours to his ex-classmate and consultant Parveen Kumar by paying him Rs 25-crore fee. “We showed him documents to prove the violations. As we tried to grill him on his relations with RSS and BJP leaders, he kept claiming that he had not extended favours to his RSS peers in appointments, but we have incriminating records,” said an officer.