PU syndicate approves demotion of senior assistant over ‘serious misconduct’
In May 2019, Kumar was working as the office in-charge at the boys hostel number 5. On May 28, he sent a side table from the boys hostel and hired a rickshaw puller to take it away. The rickshaw puller was intercepted near the administrative office by security guard Dharam Singh, who said that a gate pass is needed to take any furniture out of the hostel
The Panjab University Syndicate has demoted senior assistant Niraj Kumar for his involvement after a rickshaw puller was found taking heritage furniture out of the boys hostel without any gate pass in 2019.
This was among the major decisions made by the PU Syndicate which met on Sunday.
In May 2019, Kumar was working as the office in-charge at the boys hostel number 5. On May 28, he sent a side table from the boys hostel and hired a rickshaw puller to take it away. The rickshaw puller was intercepted near the administrative office by security guard Dharam Singh, who said that a gate pass is needed to take any furniture out of the hostel.
The rickshaw puller called Kumar to the spot, but he was unable to explain his conduct and how he got the furniture out without informing the warden. A report was sent to the vice-chancellor (V-C) the next day.
Inquiry officer and district and sessions judge Jagroop Singh Mahal (retired), who had been appointed by the PU authorities to probe the matter, in his report to the V-C on February 22 this year opined that Kumar had violated Rule 1.1 of the rules governing conduct of university employees and is guilty of serious misconduct under clauses (a) and (d) of Rule 15 of these rules.
The Syndicate approved this inquiry report and decided that Kumar will be demoted from his post. Asked whether a further inquiry will be conducted against Kumar with increasing cases of heritage furniture being auctioned in other countries, a senior syndicate member said this action will be enough and Kumar’s role is not suspected in other cases of heritage furniture being smuggled out of PU.
The Syndicate also approved the minutes of meeting to look into the matter regarding theft of ₹32 lakh from Panjab University Constituent College, Nihal Singh Wala, Moga, and decided that a third-party audit will be conducted and the responsibility will be fixed. Another syndicate member confirmed that the investigation in this case is likely to be handed over to the Punjab vigilance department.
The Syndicate approved that the inspection committee constituted by the university to visit Bhai Nagahia Singh Memorial Girls College, Alamgir, Ludhiana, for grant of extension in affiliation be withdrawn. It also allowed the trust to discontinue the college stage-wise for the session 2022-23.
The Syndicate gave its nod to the minutes of the affiliation committee to grant temporary extension of affiliation in the course/s/subject/s to the colleges situated in Punjab for the session 2022-2023. The Syndicate approved execution of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between the university and PGIMER, Fortis Hospital in Mohali and Yokohama National University in Japan. It also approved the assignment of faculties to professor Rumina Sethi, dean of university instruction.
