Former PU senator barred from taking part in senate polls

Former Panjab University (PU) senator Munish Verma has been barred from participating in senate elections next year for his “involvement in illegal activities”.

Munish Verma, who comes from a registered graduate constituency of PU senate, was indicted of wrongfully hiring of three superintendents in the 2014 annual examinations of MR Government College at Fazilka in Punjab.

The varsity issued a letter to Verma informing that his registration in the graduate constituency had been revoked, thus barring him from contesting senate polls.

“He was involved in various illegal activities. After finding him guilty, the university has revoked his registration after approval by chancellor M Venkaiah Naidu,” sources at the varsity said. The fraud came to light on April 4, 2014, when a flying squad of the university visited the examination centre and recommended the removal of all three, who were appointed illegally.

A committee constituted by the vice-chancellor in 2015 had indicted the senator for cheating and deputing three persons as superintendents in 2014.

A university official said, “The report of the committee stated that Tribhuvan Ram, officiating principal of MR Government College, acted irresponsibly by e-mailing a blank document bearing his signature and seal of his office, which was later misused by Munish Verma, for appointing assistant superintendents.”

“According to the report, Rajinder Pal Singh, Sheenam and Renu Bala deliberately gave wrong information to secure appointments and were held guilty of cheating the varsity,” said the official.

When contacted, Verma said, “I haven’t received the letter, but when I was in the senate, no one raised the issue. Now that I am not in the senate and elections are approaching, they are indicting me.” The syndicate, in their May 2018 meet discussed the issue of taking action against former senator Munish Verma to withhold his membership in future.

The senators unanimously recommended his registration revocation on May 26, 2019 under Section 37 of the PU Act, which states that the chancellor, with the concurrence of not less than two-thirds of the members of the senate, shall have the power to remove the name of any person from the register of registered graduates. Registrar professor Karamjeet Singh said, “After receiving approval from the chancellor, the university issued a letter to inform Verma.”