Bihar varsity issues showcause notice to 13 in Tomar’s case

BHAGALPUR: The disciplinary committee of Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU) on Saturday decided to issue showcause to 13 employees (both serving & retired) indicted in an internal enquiry of the university in the fake degree issue concerning the former law minister of Delhi, Jitendra Singh Tomar.

The disciplinary committee at its meeting held in the evening accepted the report of the internal enquiry committee and decided to give 10 days’ time to the 13 in question for filing replies to the showcause.

Lapses and irregularities of these employees at different levels in the issuance of the fake law degree to Tomar had been established in the internal enquiry, sources said.

The fake de g ree case is being probed separately by Delhi Police and its team has been making frequent visits to the TMBU headquarters in Bhagalpur.

Last month, it was here for three days. TMBU probed the matter internally by setting up an enquiry committee headed by pro-vice chancellor Awadh Kishore Roy.

Incidentally, Tomar has also been issued a showcause recently by the university. Accepting the report of the internal enquiry committee, the examination board of the university had last week issued the showcause to Tomar asking the former law minister in Delhi’s AAP government to state why the degree issued to him should not be cancelled. Tomar has been given 10 days’ time - from the date of receipt of the showcause - to furnish his reply.

TMBU VC Rama Shanker Dubey, who chaired the meeting of the disciplinary committee on Saturday, said the disciplinary committee would meet again after the Durga Puja break to decide the nature and quantum of punishment to the indicted employees after receiving their replies.

According to university sources, the employees indicted in the internal enquiry include two former examination controllers of the university besides another examination controller of the Viswanath Singh Institute of Le g al Studies ( VSILS), Munger, where Tomar was enrolled as a law student. A faculty member and the head clerk of VSILS are among the indicted employees.

Two tabulators and four university employees in the examination department besides two others posted in the registration section of the university at the time when the fake degree was issued to Tomar were among those indicted, sources said.