india

Updated: Oct 10, 2019 15:51 IST

Assam Police have registered an FIR against the director and deans of the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati after a complaint by a research scholar alleging misuse of public funds in a workshop which was held in a plush hotel outside the campus.

“We received a complaint naming the director of the IIT and the deans, after which we conducted an inquiry and registered an FIR on October 4 on charges of criminal breach of trust by public servants,” said S Saikia, Additional Superintendent of Police, Kamrup.

On September 19, Vikrant Singh, a research scholar in IIT Guwahati, complained to police that “Prof TG Sitharam, the Director of IIT Guwahati, and the deans of IIT Guwahati are involved in abusing their positions as public servants to misuse public funds for their own enjoyment.”

The complaint cites an August 11 meeting at a hotel in Guwahati attended by the director and the deans and said the bill of the meeting was foot from IIT funds. The complainant questioned why the meeting was held in a hotel despite on campus facilities.

Singh, his complaint claims, was refused financial assistance by the institute for a workshop in Hong Kong.

Saikia said the police had requested IIT officials to furnish information on the meeting cited in the complaint and the allegations. “They refused to share information,” Saikia said.

Sitharam could not be reached for comments. An official in his office said he is travelling and will be back on Friday.

A Srinivasan, the dean of faculty affairs who is officiating as the director, said he is aware of the FIR but details are available with Sitharam.

He said the August 11 meeting at a hotel outside the campus was in fact an intensive day long workshop to discuss the future plans with Sitharam who had taken over as the director in July. “We wanted some privacy and peace of mind,” Srinivasan said when asked why the workshop was held outside the campus.