KOCHI: The CBI chargesheet on the alleged irregularities in granting AICTE approval to the Thrissur- based Tejus Engineering College and Technology run by the Cheruvathur Foundation has said the AICTE panel granted accreditation even before the construction of the college was completed.
The investigation by CBI officer S S Chauhan found a three-member panel appointed by AICTE to conduct an inspection of facilities at Thejus Engineering College had been replaced arbitrarily. The original inspection committee comprising Kandaswamy, J Davis and H S Mohan was replaced with another panel comprising Subramanium and K Vasudevan by the AICTE regional unit. “The first-panel explicitly stated neither Manju Singh nor any other AICTE officer contacted them seeking their availability for inspection,” the CBI chargesheet says.
While the construction of the building for the engineering college started only on February 17, 2009, the inspection was held in July 2009. The CBI suspect the AICTE conducted the inspection even before the construction work was completed.The CBI appointed a three-member team comprising CPWD Assistant Engineer, AGM of National Buildings Construction Corporation Ltd (NBCC) and a valuer to assess whether the construction of the 3,893 sq ft building could be completed in six months.
“All the three members of the committee had submitted the report when it is practically impossible to complete the construction of such a huge building within the period,” a CBI officer said. Another committee was formed to check whether the facilities stated in the proposal are indeed available at the college.
The committee after inspection filed a report saying facilities like gym, water harvesting plant and outdoor stadium exist only on paper. Similarly, the AICTE panel stated in the inspection report the audited statement of Cheruvathur Foundation for three years was verified in July 2009. However, the CBI chargesheet revealed the foundation was set up on August 25, 2008 and its account was not audited.
Following this, the probe agency filed the chargesheet against the college run by Cheruvathur Foundation.
Foundation chairman C C Thampi; D K Subramaniam of Bengaluru; K Vasudevan of Kakkanad figure in the chargesheet.
Though the CBI found out the alleged involvement of then ACITE Regional Director Manju Singh -who is presently UGC Joint Secretary- in the case, it will be filing a separate chargesheet against her as it is yet to receive sanction to prosecute her.