File photo of Maharana Pratap College
Bihar Raj Bhavan has formed a three member committee to investigate financial irregularities of ₹75 crore at Maharana Pratap College, Mohania in Kaimur district of Bihar.
The probe team includes two Vice Chancellors of universities and a financial advisor of a university. The committee has been formed in compliance with the Patna High Court order.
The Chancellor’s committee includes Duniya Ram Singh, Vice Chancellor of Agricultural University Sabour, Vimalendu Shekhar Jha, Vice Chancellor of BN Mandal University Madhepura and Indra Kumar, Financial Advisor of Lalit Narayan Mishra University Darbhanga.
On February 6, Indra Kumar, one of the members of the committees wrote a letter to the Principal of the Maharana Pratap College stating that the Chancellor has constituted a three member committee and the team will visit the College on February 9 to enquire about the allegation made by the family of Ajay Pratap Singh.
The college spread over 15 acres on the land along the G.T. Road has been established by the people of Mohania by donating land worth crores, the value of assets is estimated to be around ₹200 crores today.
Earlier, Mr. Singh had approached the Vice Chancellor of Veer Kunwar Singh (VKS) University accusing the College of embezzlement of ₹75 crores in the last 15 years. However, after getting no response from the University, Mr. Singh moved to Patna High Court.
On September 12, 2024, the court of Anjani Kumar Sharan, found the matter serious and directed the Chancellor’s Office to form a committee to investigate the allegation.
The committee has been instructed to submit the report within one month positively so as to submit in the Court by way of counter affidavit.
The post of Chairman and Secretary of the Governing Body of Maharana Pratap College has been vacant for two years. A letter to this effect has been sent by the university to Raj Bhavan on 7 January 2025.
In the letter sent to Raj Bhavan, the university has admitted that the approval of the Principal-in-Charge, teacher representative and donor member of the college is not obtained. In such a situation, the body can be dissolved and an ad hoc committee can be considered.
On December 18 2024, even Labour Resources Minister Santosh Kumar Singh had written a letter to the Governor and informed about the governing body running illegally for the last two years.
Published – February 08, 2025 07:41 am IST
