Vice-Chancellor of Periyar University R Jagannathan was arrested by the Salem city police on December 26 for allegedly forming a private company to offer educational programmes in association with the university in violation of norms. This arrest comes a month after the university administration placed a table agenda in the university syndicate meeting to undertake educational programmes in collaboration with Periyar University Technology Entrepreneurship and Research Foundation (PUTER Foundation), a private company, on November 6, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
This move has evoked strong opposition from university professors and others. The Association of University Teachers (AUT) had also alleged that the address of the company is Periyar University and the company’s four directors include the VC and Registrar K Thangavel. The forum had urged the higher education department to take action.
A few days ago, I Elangovan, legal advisor of the Periyar University Employee Union (PUEU), lodged a police complaint saying that the VC and the registrar allegedly misappropriated public funds and violated norms by starting the foundation, which led to financial loss to the state exchequer. A building on the university campus has been rented out to the foundation for a very low rate in violation of norms, the complaint said.
“While a bank branch on the campus is being charged Rs 21,000 as monthly rent, the university authorities have fixed an annual rent of Rs 1,000 for 2,000 square feet of space rented out to the PUTER foundation. The VC and the registrar have done this purely for their profit. It is illegal for government employees to start a private company,” sources said.
A police team that visited the university on Tuesday, December 26, held inquiries with the VC and later arrested him. Further, as per sources, the Karuppur police have registered a case against him.
Giving more details, a senior police officer said detailed information will be provided later. R Jaganathan had earlier served as the VC of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore. His tenure at Periyar University will end on June 30, 2024, The New Indian Express reported.
