Kerala University recruitment case: Former Vice-Chancellor faces charges

The Kerala Crime Branch has filed a chargesheet involving serious criminal allegations regarding the 2008 recruitment of university assistants. Former Vice-Chancellor M K Ramachandra Nair and six others, including a former Pro-Vice-Chancellor and former Registrar, face charges that include criminal conspiracy, forgery, destruction of official records, and breach of trust. Provisions under the Prevention of Corruption Act have also been invoked.

The investigation alleges that the recruitment process was manipulated to favor specific candidates, including relatives of political leaders and senior university officials. Investigators noted discrepancies where candidates with poor written exam scores received near-perfect marks in interviews. The Crime Branch also found that answer sheets for approximately 40,000 candidates were allegedly destroyed.

Evidence suggests that final results were tabulated on the former Vice-Chancellor’s laptop, which he claimed was lost while traveling, an act investigators believe was intended to destroy evidence. While 38 candidates have been identified as having secured positions through influence, they are currently classified as suspects pending court directions.