Eight of 10 accused in PTU fraud have RSS-BJP links
Geetika Sood, daughter of the former minister and BJP leader Tikshan Sood, who was appointed as the legal officer, is among the 10 persons booked in the case.
Eight of 10 accused in the PTU fraud case, including former V-C Rajneesh Arora, have links with the RSS and BJP.
Following the inquiry report submitted by former IAS officer SS Dhillon to the state government in July last year, the VB on January 4 booked 10 persons, including Arora, under the charges of criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust of the IPC and various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act.
Former RSS activist Arora, whose appointment was believed to be backed by the Sangh, had picked people having links with the RSS or BJP and recruited them for the top positions in the university after his appointment as the V-C in 2008.
Geetika Sood, daughter of the former minister and BJP leader Tikshan Sood, who was appointed as the legal officer, is among the 10 persons booked in the case. Geetika was booked following the inquiry report in which she was found ineligible for the post.
Similarly, Ashish Sharma, an RSS activist, who was recruited as a programmer in the university had also failed to produce the documents supporting his experience.
Dharinder Tayal, son of slain BJP leader Babu Hit Abhilashi is accused of opening the PTU direct learning centre in Chandigarh violating UGC guidelines. The VB has also booked Vishwadeep, son of Chandigarh-based senior RSS leader Munishwar, as he was appointed on a contract without following university norms and was give extensions.
MS Bedi, son of the head of the department of Hindi department at Guru Nanak Dev University and an RSS worker Harminder Singh was recruited as assistant placement officer while Sumeer Sharma, an RSS activist was given the post of the assistant director in the university.
Arora also handpicked retired principal of Doaba College RP Bhardwaj, an RSS sympathiser, as director recruitment, without following university norms.
Nachhatar Singh, who was appointed PTU adviser, is close to finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal. It is being said Nachhatar was appointed on the recommendation of Manpreet, who was in the Akali Dal then.
Parveen Kumar, who was appointed consultant of the NETiit, was Arora’s batchmate in IIT Delhi.