JNU suspends professor accused of taking bribe from education body
Rajeev Sijariya was taken into custody by CBI in a bribery case linked to NAAC; FIR says he facilitated the deal and took Rs 28 lakh for himself
The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has suspended a professor arrested on charges of taking a huge bribe from an educational institution in Andhra Pradesh for giving it a favourable report.
Rajeev Sijariya was taken into custody by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a bribery case linked to the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
A FIR says that Sijariya was among 10 people who have been detained.
Also read: NAAC inspection committee chairman, JNU professor among 10 held by CBI for graft
Bribe money
The charge is that a NAAC inspection team demanded Rs 1.8 crore from Andhra Pradesh's Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation to submit a favourable report.
Eventually, the team allegedly agreed to accept Rs 10 lakh for the chairman, Rs 3 lakh for each member, and additional perks such as a laptop and travel expenses for the wife of one member.
According to the FIR, Sijariya facilitated the deal and first sought Rs 1.3 crore for himself before settling for Rs 28 lakhs.
Also read: Was pressured to cancel seminars of West Asian countries' ambassadors: JNU official
Who is Sijariya?
The Indian Express reported that Sijariya, a professor at the JNU’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee School of Management and Entrepreneurship school, was suspended after a three-member committee gave its report.
According to media reports, his two-year tenure as the Dean of the JNU school was cut short in 2023 after faculty members accused him of “undemocratic decision-making” and instigating students against faculty members.