In its second phase of investigation in the form scam in HNB Garhwal Central University, the CBCID team checked various files in university and questioned staff for three days before departing with some documents on Tuesday. The university administration also confirmed that the demanded documents were handed over to the CBCID team.
The CBCID had started investigation into the scam by questioning the university staff including the registrar during two days in the first week of September. Uttarakhand High Court had directed to the Garhwal Central University to take action in the scam and lodge the report against the guilty and consequently the university had lodged a police report against unknown persons.
The court order had been issued in a writ petition filed by Society for Revolution Against Corruption general secretary Santosh Mamgain based on information procured through Right to Information Act.
Santosh Mamgain told The Pioneer that in 2010 he had sought information from the university about the number of students appearing as private candidates, the number of forms distributed to colleges and the money received for these from the colleges. Information provided by the university revealed that there had been irregularities amounting to Rs42 lakh in the university store and Rs1.35 crore in the constituent colleges and other government and private colleges affiliated to the university. Mamgain said that though about 40,000 forms are generally needed for private students, about 80,000 forms were printed by the university. From 2002 to 2008, the university incurred a loss of about Rs99 lakh on this. The university, on inquiry found many anomalies in this matter and during the inquiry, was able to recover Rs22 lakh for the forms from 32 colleges including private colleges.