Tripura University V-C resigns after sting video, claims threat to life

Appointed in July 2018, Dharurkar had almost four years left of his term.

In the video clip aired by a local news channel earlier this week, Dharurkar is purportedly seen negotiating and accepting a bribe from a representative. Dharurkar has denied the allegations and said the video clip was edited to make it look like he was taking a bribe.

In his resignation letter, Dharurkar has blamed a section of media for “damaging the image of the university every day”. He has claimed that he was facing problems from a “scrupulous person” against whom he had “taken action for corruption”.

Speaking to The Sunday Express, Dharurkar said, “The former Registrar in-charge of the university, Shanit Debroy, is behind the entire (sting video) episode. I had demoted him to the post of Deputy Registrar and did not allow him to apply for the post of Registrar as he did not have a Masters degree. He had a fake diploma in management from Patna. He had moved the court, but recently we won the case in the Tripura High Court. He had already retired and was using his newspaper ‘Aajker Fariyad’ and other local media houses against me. My decision to initiate an inquiry into a Rs 10 crore e-book scam also went against me.”

“The (video) recording was done two months before the Lok Sabha polls. The concocted video was aired on September 5. Today, they played another clip. It relates to our plan to launch a Lord Mahavir Chair. Someone from Kolkata wanted to make a donation of Rs 30 lakh and approached me regarding that. That video was edited and they made it look like I am accepting bribe. The old one essentially shows a legitimate exchange of cash involving a contractor,” he said.

When contacted, Debroy said, “I have already retired from the university. And the case in the HC has got nothing to do with his resignation. I run a newspaper which is in no way associated with News Vanguard (news channel) that aired the sting video.”

The purported sting video, however, isn’t the only reason the government is unhappy with Dharurkar. Within months of his joining, the HRD MInistry received complaints alleging financial irregularities and against appointments of guest teachers made by Dharurkar. In April, the government sought a report from the university Registrar on the complaints.

Last month, Dharurkar had hoisted a flag of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) during an event on the campus. Defending his action, he said the ABVP was a “social and cultural organisation” and “not related to any party”.