VTU Registrar Jagannath Reddy suspended

Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) Registrar Jagannath Reddy has been suspended from service as part of an inquiry into allegations of financial irregularities that came to light on Saturday.

VTU Vice Chancellor Prof Karisiddappa suspended the registrar on Friday, which was confirmed by highly placed sources.

“VTU the lone technological university had received an anonymous letter with a list of allegations of financial irregularities based on which the vice-chancellor suspended the registrar pending inquiry,” according to the source.

Reddy claimed that the action was taken in spite of the fact that he was not a member of the executive committee and finance committee. Reddy said that he had played no role in any of the irregularities. "They are all baseless allegations based on which varsity vice chancellor has resorted to suspension," he said.

The exact nature of the complaint is yet to be ascertained. Karisiddappa held a finance-related meeting on Saturday and was unavailable for comments. Earlier in the day, Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Satish Jarkiholi said that in the backdrop of alleged financial irregularities, the governor's office might have suspended the official.

According to sources, Dr S Vishwanath and Dr Vasudev Murthy had filed complaints with the governor's office about financial irregularities at the varsity last year. Based on the complaints, the governor had instructed the varsity vice chancellor to carry out an inquiry. Complying with the instructions, varsity vice chancellor Karisiddappa had formed an inquiry committee headed by retired judge D S Shindhe in January. And now, the vice chancellor has suspended the registrar pending the results of the inquiry.