Govt suspends NIT Andhra director amid graft probe

The CBI has named Prof Rao as an accused in two FIRs, lodged on February 16. One FIR alleges that Prof Rao by “misusing and abusing his official position and by indulging in corrupt practices, recruited ineligible and unqualified candidates for various posts in National Institute of Technology, Andhra Pradesh”.

The appointments under scanner include that of one Ram Prasad as a Public Relations-cum-Liaison Officer (PRO); Annapurna Chekkalapalli and Gopala Krishna Kapaka as Superintendents; V V Suresh Babu as Junior Assistant; and Veeresh Kumar as assistant professor.

The FIR alleges that as PRO, Ram Prasad drew a salary of Rs 50000 per month, earning about Rs 5 lakh. The recruitment was done without following the Recruitment Rules of NIT and the post of PRO post is not sanctioned for NIT Andra Pradesh, it adds. The other four appointments were made by disregarding the eligibility criteria and providing age relaxations of up to 13 years.

“The candidates who were given age relaxation and appointed in various posts by Sri CSP Rao, Director, are not eligible for age relaxation. Further C.S.P. Rao, Director, NIT, AP has no powers to relax the age limit. CSP Rao, Director, National Institute of Technology, Tadepalligudam, Andhra Pradesh, by abusing his official position entered into a conspiracy with the ineligible candidates,” the FIR, which also names those who were appointed allegedly unlawfully, states.

The second FIR relates to Prof Rao’s alleged acceptance of bribery from various persons including a catering service provider in the NIT Andhra Pradesh campus and a student. “Information revealed that CSP Rao, Director, NIT AP was the Ph.D guide to one N. Vishnu Murthy, while he was doing Ph.D from NIT, Warangal. He demanded and obtained an amount of Rs. 1.5 lakh and a treadmill as illegal gratification from N. Vishnu Murthy to award Ph.D Degree,” according to the FIR.

It adds that Nerella Subrahmanyam of SS Caterers transferred a total Rs 2.04 lakh to Murthy to be paid as bribe to Prof Rao. It also charges Murthy with handing over bribe amounts to Prof Rao in lieu of making appointments.
“Vishnu Murthy received a total amount of Rs. 5.5 lakhs from Smt Dhana Lakshmi, Associate Professor at NIT, Nagaland for getting posting at NIT Puducherry in his account…” says the second FIR.