BENGALURU: In a case of corruption, conspiracy and cheating, the Special Court for CBI cases sentenced the former chairman of the National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE) and its South Regional Committee's three former members to three years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 2.35 lakh each.
It also sentenced N M Threerthe Gowda, Secretary of the Dr Radhakrishna Teachers' Institution at Devanahalli in Bengaluru Rural, to five years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 7.10 lakh.
Judge Satish J Bali, the Special Court for CBI Cases, passed the order sentencing all five accused as they were found guilty of the offences punishable under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC, based on the charge sheet filed by the CBI.
The accused identified are former Chairman of NCTE S K Thakur (77), who retired as a professor of Himachal University, Shimla, former Members of NCTE's South Regional Committee, K Rayar (68), and Dr Jeevan Jyothi Sidhana (55), former Principal, Cheema College of Education, Kishankot in Punjab and Dr I S Suri (77), who retired as a professor of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), New Delhi.
Accused Nos. 1, 3 to 5, are sentenced for the offences committed under Section 417 read with Section 120B of IPC and Section 13(2) read with Section 13(10(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, whereas the accused No.2, N M Theerthe Gowda (64), the then Secretary of Dr Radhakrishna Teachers' Educational Institution, was sentenced for the offences committed under Sections 420, 468 and 471 read with Section 120-B of IPC.
"The court should bear in mind the expectation of the people to prevent corruption by providing prompt conviction and stern sentence", said Judge Satish J Bali in the judgment that runs 364 pages.
He referred to the judgment of the apex court, which held that there is no scope for reforming the convicted public servant unless the court awards appropriately deterrent punishment, taking note of the nature of the offence and status of the offender.
After inspection, in view of 19 shortcomings found in the infrastructure of the Dr Radhakrishna Teachers' Educational Institution, the reports submitted on three occasions were rejected by the Appellate Authority of NCTE.
Thakur, who was heading the Appellate Authority for hearing the appeal filed by the institution against the rejection of its application for grant of recognition, took a contradictory stand on the report of the fourth committee.
Meanwhile, he took charge as Chairman of NCTE, constituted the fourth committee of Rayar, Jyothi and Suri and obtained a favourable report contrary to norms, allowed the appeal filed by the institution and granted recognition, stating that infrastructure is available to run the D Ed course, leading to students from Tamil Nadu to take admission.
Threerthe Gowda allegedly submitted fake fixed deposit receipts of a cooperative bank that did not exist, a fake list of faculty members who were not at all appointed and students' registers to obtain recognition.
Based on the fabricated orders of the NCTE and the Government of Karnataka, he admitted 50 students each to the institution for the academic years 2004-05 and 2005-06 by collecting huge donations/fees.