CBI books ex-AMU Vice-Chancellor for ‘cheating’ in appointment

The CBI has registered a case of criminal conspiracy, cheating and provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act against Arsalan (now Joint Finance Officer), Yasmin Jalal Beg (now Finance Officer) and Ahmad, they said.

It is alleged that the vacancy for the post of AFO and deputy finance officer were advertised by AMU on January 1, 2004, and 22 candidates applied. Nine of them were found to be eligible for the post of AFO but they did not include Arsalan, the CBI’s preliminary enquiry found.

Arsalan submitted a representation that his degree of Chartered Accountant was not being considered equivalent to a postgraduate degree in the shortlisting process whereas an AMU notification recognises these degrees as equivalent, it alleged. He requested for his consideration for the interview held on February 3, 2005, it said. The then Deputy Finance Officer, Beg, allegedly in violation of procedure recommended the candidature of Arsalan for interview on the grounds that CA degree is the optimum qualification, and if a CA has applied for the position of AFO, he would be an asset to the department.

The PE found that Beg had put the note even though the file was not marked to her. The note was forwarded through the registrar and approved by V-C Ahmad, it alleged.

The PE also found that there was one more candidate with a CA degree with 60 per cent marks and several other candidates who had scored over 55 per cent marks in PG examination as per advertised eligibility conditions of the university, the FIR said.

Arsalan in his representation had concealed that he scored less that 55 per cent marks in CA examination and misled officials by enclosing his part one marksheet which showed 55 per cent marks, it alleged.

Beg concealed that there was one more candidate with a CA degree and recommended Arsalan’s candidature as part of the “criminal conspiracy”, it alleged.

Based on the interview, Arsalan was one of the three candidates recommended for the position of AFO which was approved by the V-C on behalf of the Executive Council.

The CBI found that the V-C can use special powers on behalf of the Executive Council of the university but such decisions mandatorily should be reported to the council, which was not done in the meeting on October 4, 2005, the FIR alleged. “It has thus revealed that the then V-C Naseem Ahmad, though not competent to relax the qualification, deviated from the advertised qualification and approved the candidature of Shakaib Arsalan to be called for interview for the post of Assistant Finance Officer in AMU. Further the relaxation and deviation in the matter of appointment was not reported to the Executive Council and neither ratified from them,” the FIR alleged.