BENGALURU: The state’s only technological university — Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) — has been hit by a fake appointments scam wherein documents have been forged using signatures of the present Registrar (Administration) of the varsity. It is learnt that this has been done with the involvement of current and past employees of the university. Police sources said preliminary investigation has pointed towards the involvement of even former top varsity officials.
The scam came to light when a VTU 'job aspirant’ approached officials at the varsity's Bengaluru Regional Centre to report for duty with an appointment order undersigned by the registrar. "When the person approached us and submitted his appointment order, we became suspicious with the signature of the Registrar (Administration) on his appointment order. We contacted the registrar at the head office immediately and confirmed that it was a fake order," an official working at the regional centre in Bengaluru told The New Indian Express.
Following the registrar's directive, officials at the regional centre filed a forgery complaint with the Annapoorneshwari Nagar police in Bengaluru, who then took the aspirant into custody. "As the case was related to Belagavi, the complaint has also been forwarded to Tilakwadi police station there," the official said. Senior officers at Tilakwadi police station confirmed this and said the case is under investigation. One employee of the university has been arrested.
Meanwhile, VTU sources said there are some more aspirants who have become scapegoats of the racket and have paid lakhs to those involved. "When the person who had the fake appointment order was questioned, it was revealed that he had paid around `6 lakh. Racketeers have issued similar fake appointment orders to at least nine more people, even conducting a workshop for them in Belagavi," said a source.