The Times of India: Saturday, November 26, 2011.
NAGPUR: In an interesting twist to the police complaint against Nagpur University vice chancellor Vilas Sapkal in Mumbai, the police therein had appealed to city police commissioner to shift the enquiry here, highly-placed sources revealed. Sunil Mishra had filed this criminal complaint at Malabar Hill police station in Mumbai on the basis of documents obtained under RTI Act, 2005. Ironically, Mishra is himself a convict of NU's infamous fake mark-sheet and revaluation scam that rocked the 88-year-old institution over a decade back. TOI on September 9 had reported as to how Sapkal had allegedly misled the chancellor's office in Mumbai while applying for VC's job by submitting incorrect information about his employment.
Sources said senior officials from Malabar Hill police station had written a letter to CP Ankush Dhanvijay requesting him to shift Mishra's criminal complaint and accordingly conduct enquiry, since Sapkal was now heading NU and issue is related to this region. He was earlier working with Amravati University. Sapkal was not available for comments but last time, he feigned ignorance stating that he was not aware of any such complaint, and therefore, didn't want to comment. Even Dhanvijay refused to pick the calls despite repeated attempts.
Mishra pointed out that Sapkal had mentioned in his bio data that he had worked with a Mumbai-based company for a couple of years in 1987-88. But documents related to it were not available. Moreover, he claimed to have short stint with German-based Sartorious AG as technical director, but documents related to it were also not made available. Even the governor's office failed to verify Sapkal's credentials, Mishra claimed. Mishra also named state education secretary and officials from the chancellor's office in Mumbai for not verifying Sapkal's credentials before appointing him for such a coveted post. The complaint was filed at Malabar hills police station as Raj Bhavan, where the chancellor stays, falls in its jurisdiction.
A LIT alumni in 1984, Sapkal had taken over NU reins on December 22 last year. He took some good decisions and also received brickbats for keeping some of them pending like action on roster scam. Sources said Sapkal dared to take out status of 'approved teacher' from Mishra. Secondly, he derecognized many illegally-run courses of Central India Institute of Mass Communication (CIIMC), though after government's ultimatum. All this led to Mishra filing many RTI applications to get Sapkal's details and ultimately filing a complaint.