BHOPAL: Anti-corruption wing of CBI’s Jabalpur branch on Monday arrested senior professor of IIT-Kanpur and former vice-chancellor of Dr Hari Singh Gour Central University , Sagar, Dr N S Gajbhiye in connection with seven different cases of irregularities registered against him.

He was arrested from chemistry department of IIT, Kanpur in presence of dean of faculty affairs, IIT, Kanpur.

CBI sources said a copy of Gajbhiye’s arrest memo was given to his wife and intimation regarding arrest was given to local Kalyanpur police station of Kanpur and head of department, chemistry department, IIT, Kanpur. His medical checkup was done at Government Hospital, Kanpur.

He is being brought to Jabalpur by train by a six member CBI team comprising of three officers. He will be produced before CBI Court of Special Judge, Jabalpur on Tuesday.

After registration of new cases against him, searches were conducted at Gajbhiye’s residential premises at IIT campus, Kanpur on February 2. Gajbhiye was not available during the search and was reportedly at Mumbai in connection with recruitment of teaching faculty of Mumbai University. On being contacted over telephone by the agency and requested to join CBI for legal proceedings at his house urgently, he told the agency that he will return to Kanpur only on February 22, after selection committee meeting of University of Mumbai and his appointment with a doctor at Mumbai.

Thereafter, he switched off his mobile.

CBI officials claimed, Gajbhiye and other officers of Sagar University accused in the case, entered into a criminal conspiracy for recruiting S M Mahendra Simha Karna and Vandana Vinayak as assistant professors in the department of Forensic Science and Criminology of Sagar University, notwithstanding their ineligibility. Several other recruitments carried out by Gajbhiye at the university are under scanner.

There are four investigating officers (IOs) in seven cases being probed against him, said sources, adding, he had been asked to appear on January 19, 20, 21 and 22 but to no avail. He had ignored repeated notices served on him by CBI. A week ago, he wrote to the probe agency urging it to interrogate him within the campus of IIT-K, and that too in presence of a doctor, else mail him the questions the agency wanted answers to.

Gajbhiye had been trying to convince the agency he is suffering from coronary problems and it would be difficult for him to visit Madhya Pradesh for ‘interrogations’ over and again.

CBI had given him an ultimatum to appear before CBI office by Monday failing which the agency took him into custody. During its third reminder, CBI had also written to the HRD ministry to urging that his salary be withheld.

Gajbhiye was working as a professor in IIT-Kanpur before his appointment as first VC of HS Gour university after it was declared a central university in 2009.

His services were repatriated to IIT-Kanpur after completion of five-year term.