CBI books former VBU V-C for ‘financial irregularities’

“Some other Visva-Bharati officials may also be involved. So, a case has been registered against Duttagupta and other unknown public servants and private persons,” said a CBI officer.

Duttagupta was the vice-chancellor from 2011 to 2016.

According to CBI, Duttagupta allegedly abused his official position and by “illegal means obtained for himself causing wrongful loss to the government and wrongful gain to himself”.

Three complaints of Mitra, submitted in 2012-13, were forwarded by the Central Vigilance Commission to the CBI, based on which the investigation was initiated.

The CBI said, “It has been alleged that without a tender, Duttagupta had awarded M/s. Rebatl Sankar Sinha and other parties a contract of Rs. 1.60 crore. The parties had started working even before work order was issued. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India also submitted observations on serious irregularities involved in the functioning of the engineering wing of Visva Bharati from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013.”

The agency’s preliminary inquiry revealed that Duttagupta while working as the Visva-Bharati V-C allegedly suppressed the information that he was also receiving pension from his earlier employment in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. In the process, he allegedly received an excess payment of Rs 13,38,875. It has also been revealed that the Executive Committee headed by him wrongly fixed his basic pay at Rs 80,000 per month and was, therefore, paid an excess amount of Rs 2,38,976.

The inquiry also revealed that a private law firm in the name of M/S. Sinha & Co. was hired to handle the university’s legal matters. The law firm charged an excessive fee in comparison to a previous law firm and a counsel. Most of the rates quoted by the law firm were approved by Duttagupta on the file.