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AICTE officials held for corruption

Last Updated 16 July 2009, 19:25 IST

Rao was detained along with a middleman for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs five lakh in return for granting recognition to a technical college in Andhra Pradesh.

CBI sources said the member-secretary had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from the college owner for giving AICTE affiliation. They also claimed that Rs 5 Lakh is the first instalment which he received through an alleged middleman S V Subarao.

“Based on the complaints, we laid a trap for both the member-secretary and the middleman, observing all legal formalities. The two were arrested as they were in the process of accepting the bribe,” a CBI spokesperson said. The spokesperson also added that the agency has recovered Rs 9 Lakh from under his mattress during searches held at his residence in Nivedita Kunj here.

Yadav, along with his two associates, have allegedly asked for a hefty sum from a Faridabad engineering college for hiking their fees, which is a violation of norms.

Sources at the Human Resource Development Ministry said the high-profile arrests of officials from the apex body for technical education, are part of a “cleansing process”, since such arrests cannot take place without the approval of HRD Minister Kapil Sibal.

AICTE has not been spared even by the parliamentary standing committee for its dismal performance and widespread charges of corruption. There have been complaints that institutions offering technical and management education were buying affiliations by paying large sums as bribes.

Yadav’s elevation from AICTE Vice Chairman to its helm is not without controversy, as he is said to be close to former HRD Minister Arjun Singh.

There were reports that Arjun Singh actively pushed for the appointment, despite serious concerns about the effectiveness of AICTE's.

Yadav has also been under the scanner for drawing salary as head of AICTE, while also receiving pension from Delhi University, where he had once worked.

DH News Service

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(Published 16 July 2009, 19:25 IST)

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