Kangra – The Vigilance Department has arrested two professors from Punjab with Rs 3.5 lakh in cash following an inspection conducted by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) in Himachal Pradesh. The professors, Rakesh Chawla and Puneet Kumar were apprehended at a check post in Rakkad, Dehra, as they were returning from an inspection at the Sai School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, a constituent of Shri Sai University, Palampur.
As per information, Rakesh Chawla is associated with Baba Farid University, Punjab, while Puneet Kumar is a professor at Central University, Bathinda. The PCI had deputed these professors to evaluate the university’s application to commence a new pharmacy course.
The Vigilance Department, acting on a tip-off, intercepted the professors’ vehicle and discovered Rs 3.5 lakh in cash. The money and the vehicle have been seized, and a case has been registered against the accused under Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act).
Balveer Singh, SP, Vigilance, Northern Range, Dharamshala, stated that the professors have not provided any explanation regarding the origin of the cash. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the money was withdrawn from a bank branch in Palampur, raising suspicions that it was intended for illegal purposes related to the inspection.
The professors were presented before the court and have been remanded until August 14 for further questioning. The Vigilance team is probing the matter to determine whether the cash was meant to influence the outcome of the PCI inspection in favour of the university.
