CBI books education baron Balasubramanian for fraud

Balasubramanian was booked under Section 420 of the IPC and Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act,and produced before Additional Sessions Judge Arvind Rohee on Tuesday afternoon. He has been remanded to police custody till Friday.

CBI officials said Balasubramanian ran the Balaji Institute of International Business (BIIB),Balaji Institute of Modern Management (BIMM),Balaji Institute of Telecom Management (BITM) and Balaji Institute of Management and HRD (BMHRD) from two buildings at Tathawade,on the city outskirts. There are about 2,000 students in Sri Balaji Society institutes.

“In connivance with AICTE officials,Balasubramnian got approval for these institutes. He was also running Balaji College of Law,Arts,Commerce,Science,and Junior college of Arts,Commerce and Science from the hostel building meant for housing students of the four institutes. He also ran a distance education course in management without approval,” CBI sources said.

Advocate Ejaz Khan and Mohanrao Deshmukh,representing the CBI,said in court,“In 2007,the AICTE,New Delhi constituted an expert committee comprising Singhal,Venkatramana and Mohanty to inspect the land and building of Balaji Institute of International Business for approval or otherwise to the institute. It is alleged that Balsubramanian entered into a criminal conspiracy with the expert committee members and other unknown AICTE officials and gave a favorable report knowing fully well the institute did not have the specified land,building,computer lab,library.”

Khan told the court that Balasubramanian had falsely informed the AICTE in March 2006 that there were four separate buildings for the four institutes. Investigation revealed that only the hostel building was completed on March 31,2005 and two buildings were completed on May,31,2005. Work on the remaining buildings started on January 5,2008 and was completed on July7,2008. The committee members visited the campus on June,2007 and approval was granted by AICTE on December 2007.

“Balaji society ran seven institutes from two buildings and one hostel. The society admitted excess students in violation of AICTE norms and yet the committee members recommended approval. The management institutes falsely claimed they are autonomous institutes without any such approval from the AICTE or any other government authority and cheated the AICTE and the students,” the prosecution stated.

Advocate S K Jain and Pratap Pardeshi,representing Balasubramanium,said,“CBI filed the case on September 23 and searched Balasubramanian’s residence on October 15 and sealed all documents. He had also given necessary documents of the AICTE saying the society has 12.5 acres instead of 10 acres necessary for running the four institutes,following which AICTE gave approval on December 13,2007. The society has paid a fine of Rs 54 lakh for admitting excess students and got approval…”

“Balasubramanian had mentioned names and photographs of former chief election commissioner,former chiefs of the army,navy,air force and a number of retired Lt. Generals,Major Generals as patrons,executive council and governing council members to lure students false grading and accreditation,” said S.P Singh,Deputy Superintendent of Police,CBI (ACB),Pune.

He was associated with the Symbiosis group of Institutes as the director of its management college,till he started his own institute in 1999.