CHENNAI: The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to investigate and take action in cases relating to the issuance of fake certificates by universities across the State.
In a petition filed before the Madurai Bench, Sakthirao of Madurai stated that officials had failed to implement the court’s earlier order directing action against those who secured government jobs by submitting fake certificates claiming to have studied in the Tamil medium. He also sought contempt action against the officials concerned.
When the case came up for hearing, a bench of Justices Velmurugan and Pugazhendhi noted that the DVAC's inquiry into persons obtaining government jobs through fake certificates found that four persons had secured government employment through Group-I examinations using fake certificates obtained from Madurai Kamaraj University. Cases have been registered against them and university officials, and during the inquiry, the university gave evasive replies claiming that important records had gone missing, the bench noted.
Observing that Annamalai University, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Periyar University and the University of Madras also failed to cooperate with the DVAC inquiry, the court strongly condemned their conduct.
Petition stated that officials had failed to implement the court’s earlier direction to take action against those who secured government jobs by submitting fake certificates claiming to have studied in the Tamil medium
The inquiry remained stalled for nearly a year as the DVAC had sought government sanction to initiate criminal action against six officials of Madurai Kamaraj University, the court said. Citing the Higher Education Secretary's clarification that prior government sanction is not necessary to investigate those concerned, the bench directed the DVAC to proceed without delay and take appropriate action against those involved.
The court observed that stringent criminal action would be taken against university officials who conceal or refuse to provide records required for investigation. Universities must immediately cancel the degrees of those who obtained certificates fraudulently, and the DVAC should also examine whether distance education study centres of universities had facilitated such irregularities, it ordered.
The court further highlighted that financial power and influence have damaged all sections of society and that even educational institutions appear to have deteriorated. If such fraudulent practices in awarding degrees continue, public confidence in the education system would be completely eroded, it said.
The court directed that the DVAC must also investigate fake and fraudulent degree certificates issued by universities other than Madurai Kamaraj University and initiate criminal proceedings against the officials involved. Taking note of the steps being initiated by the TNPSC to cancel selections obtained through irregular means, the court closed the contempt petition.