CBI Arrests NAAC Inspection Panel Chairman, JNU Professor Among 10 Over Bribe For Accreditation, Seizes Rs 37 Lakh

In a corruption case, the CBI has arrested seven people, including the NAAC inspection committee chairperson, for allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for a favourable NAAC rating.

Representational Image | The CBI has conducted searches across 20 locations and recovered cash, laptops, and other items in connection with the NAAC case.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested the chairman and six members of a National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) inspection committee, including a professor from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), in connection with a corruption case. The arrested individuals also include G P Saradhi Varma, the vice-chancellor of Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KLEF) in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur, and two other executives from the institution.

Other key figures named in the FIR, but not arrested, include Koneru Satyanarayana, president of KLEF, L Manjunatha Rao, former deputy adviser at NAAC, M Hanumanthappa, professor and director of IQAC-NAAC at Bangalore University, and M S Shyamsundar, a NAAC adviser, news agency PTI reported.

The arrests were made after a series of operations in which the CBI apprehended several individuals allegedly involved in bribing the NAAC inspection committee members to secure an A++ accreditation for KLEF. Among the arrested are the chairman of the inspection committee, Samarendra Nath Saha, who is also the vice-chancellor of Ramchandra Chandravansi University, and committee members Rajeev Sijariya, professor at JNU, D. Gopal, dean at Bharath Institute of Law, Rajesh Singh Pawar, dean at Jagran Lakecity University, Manas Kumar Mishra, director at G L Bajaj Institute of Technology & Management, Gayathri Devaraja, professor at Davangere University, and Bulu Maharana, professor at Sambalpur University, PTI reported.

CBI Raids At 20 Locations Over Alleged Bribe Payments Made To NAAC Team For Accreditation

The CBI’s investigation led to the discovery of alleged bribe payments made to the NAAC team, including cash, gold, mobile phones, and laptops, which were recovered during searches. The agency said searches were conducted at 20 locations across India, including Chennai, Bengaluru, Vijayawada, Palamu, Sambalpur, Bhopal, Bilaspur, Gautam Budh Nagar, and New Delhi.

In total, the CBI has seized approximately ₹37 lakh in cash, six Lenovo laptops, one iPhone 16 Pro, and other incriminating items, PTI reported. The investigation is ongoing.