Case against 12 over alleged illegal appointments at Kalyan's K M Agrawal College

Khadakpada police have registered a case against 12 people, including the principal, over allegations that appointments were made in violation of rules at K M Agrawal College of Arts, Commerce and Science in Kalyan and that false entries were made in the government's HTE system. The case is for cheating and forgery. The 12 include officials of the higher education department, office-bearers of the managing institution and staff members.

The complaint was filed by Ramchandra Parshuram Yadav (36), public relations head of the Mumbai University and College Teachers Association. The case was registered on November 4. According to the complaint, the appointment of Ashok Kumar Lalbihari Mishra, who has been at the college since 1998, is alleged to have been made without any advertisement, without a selection committee process and without the required no-objection certificate. The complainant claims the rules for appointment were not followed.

The second serious allegation in the complaint concerns the post of laboratory assistant. It is claimed that the post was converted into a junior clerk's post in violation of the rules. The complaint also says that the government's HTE system was tampered with and false entries were made to show that the change was in accordance with the rules. Police will now investigate who was behind any such altered entries and who approved the documents concerned.

The complainant has also questioned the appointment of employee Suhas Mahadev Bhagat. It is alleged that he was appointed in collusion although he lacked the required educational qualifications and typing qualification. The investigation is likely to verify whether the rules were followed and whether the required qualifications were met.

Those named in the case include the college principal, Dr Anita Arun Manna; Vijay Narkhede, the then divisional joint director of higher education; and Dr Kirankumar Bondar, the current divisional director. Also named are the institution's president Vijay Narayan Pandit, secretary Omprakash Pandey, working president Ramashankar Tiwari, vice-presidents Laxmikant Upadhyay, Anant Gawli and Anil Pandit, and treasurer Dinesh Somani, along with Ashok Kumar Mishra and Suhas Bhagat. The case has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. However, the registration of a case does not mean the allegations have been proved. The truth will become clear from the investigation.

Anagha Rane, the college's vice-principal, was asked about the matter. She said she had no information about it. She also noted that there was no one at the college at present.

Assistant Police Inspector Amol Khonde is conducting further investigation. Police will inquire into the role of each person in the alleged appointments, at what level the entries in the HTE system were altered, and who approved the appointments. The allegation that the practice has gone on for 28 years has caused a stir in the education sector.