Barely a fortnight after an official was suspended for allegedly increasing diploma students’ marks for personal benefits, the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) is inquiring into another instance of malpractice involving a polytechnic teacher.
Venkatesh, head of the automobile engineering department at Smt L V Government Polytechnic in Hassan, is facing an inquiry following allegations that he demanded money from students in exchange for theory and practical marks. The DTE inquiry is the result of a written complaint by a former student of the Hassan College.
Santosh K K, who studied in the college between 2006 and 2010, said: “Back then, we were scared to complain. Now, my relative is studying in the same department and Venkatesh continues to harass students by demanding `2,000. He threatens students that they will be failed,” Santosh stated in his complaint addressed to Ananda Poojary, the secretary to the Board of Technical Education.
Poojary, who claimed he hadn’t received a copy of the letter, said Venkatesh was taken off Hassan and deputed to Government Polytechnic, Karwar, on examination duty. “He was transferred as I received similar complaints over the phone,” Poojary said.
However, DTE director H U Talawar directed him to conduct an inquiry instead. “Officials who have complaints, particularly in writing, cannot be transferred. A committee has reached Hassan to ascertain the facts, but I am yet to get the details,” Talawar said. The inquiry committee is headed by DTE Joint Director (Inspection) R Manjunath, who two weeks ago found R N Krishnaveni guilty of changing diploma students’ marks.
On his part, Venkatesh said there was no truth in the complaint. When asked why he was transferred to Karwar, he said: “I don’t know why I was transferred, but I am confident that the charges levelled against me in the complaint are false.”