CVC does not have jurisdiction over IIT-Kharagpur an autonomous body claims registrar

Updated on: Tuesday, March 26, 2013

In wake of Central Vigilance Commission's directive to the Centre to initiate action against three IIT professors for their alleged involvement in a scam, IIT Kharagpur has claimed it is an autonomous body and the corruption watchdog has no jurisdiction over it.

Filing an affidavit before the Delhi High Court in a case filed by whistle blower Rajeev Kumar recently, the prestigious institution sought dismissal of Kumar's plea on the ground of CVC's jurisdiction.

Tapan Kumar Ghoshal, IIT- KGP's registrar, who filed the affidavit, said, "CVC does not have jurisdiction over the answering respondent (IIT Kharagpur)...".

Referring to the CVC Act, the institution said the "answering respondent (IIT) being an autonomous institute does not fall within any of the categories mentioned in the Act".

The affidavit comes just days ahead of the institute's Board of Governors meet on Saturday to respond to CVC's direction to the HRD Ministry and institute to initiate major penalty proceedings against three IIT professors indicated in Rs 40 crore Coalnet scam.

Earlier this month, CVC has recommended the HRD Ministry to initiate action against the IIT top bosses for their alleged involvement in the Coalnet scam for computerisation of Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries between 2001 and 2004.

CVC does not have jurisdiction over IIT-Kharagpur an autonomous body claims registrar

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