CBI Probes Financial Scandal at JNU: Ex-Professor Under Scrutiny

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated an inquiry into former JNU Professor AL Ramanathan and others for alleged financial misappropriation of over Rs 88 lakh. The investigation, taken over from the Delhi Police, uncovers financial irregularities detected by JNU’s finance branch during their annual balance sheet preparations.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a case against former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Professor AL Ramanathan and five others for their involvement in alleged financial misappropriation, as per governmental sources.

The investigation shifts from the Delhi Police to the CBI upon a directive from the office of Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. The case pertains to suspicions of financial misappropriation amounting to over Rs 88 lakh, initially brought to light by the University's finance branch during the annual balance sheet review in 2021.

The issue, first raised with the Vice-Chancellor, prompted the formation of a Fact-Finding Committee that confirmed the involvement of both regular and contractual staff. This includes Section Officers Sneh Rajora Asiwal, Urmil Punhani, Project Assistant K. Murali, and Computer Operators Nazir Hussain and Ritesh Kumar. The implicated professor was suspended in 2021 and recently dismissed from JNU.

(With inputs from agencies.)