COIMBATORE: A group of students enrolled in placement-linked skill training programme of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) at a centre in Periyar University in Salem sought a police probe into irregularities in the programme offered by Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD).

Around 200 students, including 60 women, mostly from scheduled caste, tribal and minority students, were admitted in the skill-based training programme after receiving their educational certificates.

The students accused the authorities of keeping the bank passbook and ATM cards of students with themselves. Periyar University Registrar (in-charge) K Thangavel, who is facing charges for starting a private entity and misappropriation of public funds, is the director of the DDU-GKY centre.

“Even before completion of the course, the authorities sent us home within two months saying the classes will be held online. Even during our stay in the residential programme, we were served poor quality food and forced to stay in congested place. After six months, the students received a call asking to enroll in another course on artificial intelligence and data science. Again, after two months, the students were asked to go home even before completion of the course,” the students said, in their petition submitted to Salem city police on Sunday.

The aggrieved students said their certificates were withheld, scholarship amounts were swindled and they were issued with fake placement orders. Therefore, they urged police to conduct an inquiry into these irregularities and book the culprits.