Akshay Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 15: The Jammu and Kashmir Higher Education department is reluctant to suspend an Assistant Professor who was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting bribe by Vigilance Organization Jammu nearly a week ago.
The softness of Department towards the Assistant Professor despite written directions in Civil Services recruitment rules to suspend the employee immediately is intriguing and signals towards something fishy.
According to the events unfolded in last few days, the Vigilance Organization Jammu had on December 9, caught Assistant Professor Ashu Jolly posted in College of Education, Canal Road Jamu, red handed while accepting bribe of Rs 5000.
The Vigilance Organization had received a complaint, in which allegations were levelled against the Assistant Professor, who had demanded Rs. 10,000 in two installments of Rs. 5000 each as illegal gratification from the complainant for approving M. Ed Synopsis.
"The SVO had arrested the Assistant Professor on the afternoon of Friday December 9 and for two days, she remained in police custody and she was released on bail on Monday, December 12", sources said, adding that despite the fact that accused government servant had spent more than 48 hours in police custody, still she was not suspended by department.
The Section 31 titled, "Placing government servant under suspension" of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules 1956 and its sub-section-2 reads, "A government servant who is detained in custody whether on a criminal charge or otherwise for a period longer than forty eight hours shall be deemed to have been suspended by the appointing authority under this rule."
It is beyond comprehension as why suspension order has not been issued by the department. "Why the department is going soft on the corrupt employee despite written rules", an official rued, adding that the arrest of Assistant Professor was only tip of an iceberg as there were nearly one dozen Assistant Professors deputed in Education College, who have been involved in the same corruptive practices but department has turned a Nelson eye due to reasons best known to them.
Sources further alleged that most of the Assistant Professors, posted in the Education College were influential and were staying there in violation of transfer policy, but department was mute spectator over the issue. "An independent enquiry must be conducted over the matter and all other involved in this heinous act, must be punished", the official said.
An official of Higher Education department, pleading anonymity confirmed that so far there was no suspension order issued by the department. |
