KOCHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a charge-sheet against Kerala-based businessman Cheruvathur Chakutty Thampi in connection with alleged irregularities in granting AICTE (All-India Council for Technical Education) accreditation to Thejus Engineering College in Pazhanji. After having closed the case in 2009, CBI had reopened it in 2017. The charge sheet was filed at the CBI court in Kochi.
There were reports Thampi was a close ally of leaders associated with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). According to a CBI officer, the charge sheet was filed against Thampi, D K Subrahmanium and K Vasudevan who were members of the committee appointed to inspect the college as part of AICTE accreditation. CBI will be filing a supplementary charge sheet against Manju Singh, the former regional director of AICTE.
“Since the prosecution sanction against Manju Singh is yet to be obtained, we decided not to include her in the charge sheet now. Once the prosecution sanction is obtained, a supplementary charge sheet will be filed,” the officer said.
According to the CBI investigation, two AICTE representatives visited Thejus Engineering College for inspection on June 15, 2009. Though AICTE, as per the norms, had appointed a three-member expert committee comprising Kandaswamy, J Davis and H S Mohan for inspection, two other persons completed the inspection in two hours. It was after the inspection that the college even applied for electricity connection. According to CBI, it is practically impossible to inspect the 4,900 sq ft college building in two hours.
CBI is also probing another case registered on a similar ground against the Malabar College of Engineering and Technology, Pallur, Wadakkanchery, functioning under the IORA Educational and Charitable Trust. In 2009, CBI had closed the case claiming sufficient evidence could not be retrieved to prove the allegation. However, in 2017, the case was reopened with the claim that certain aspects were not probed earlier.