BIRATNAGAR, Feb 25: Professors of Purbanchal University (PU) have demanded the concerned authorities to book the university's dean Shubha Narayan Pathak for his involvement in a bribery case involving former CIAA commissioner Raj Narayan Pathak, who happens to be his brother.
Raj Narayan resigned from his post as CIAA commissioner after media exposed his involvement in the bribery scam but Shubha Narayan still enjoys the post which he achieved through unscrupulous means.
It has been revealed that Subha Narayan was reappointed the dean due to the pressure from his brother.
Erosion of professors’ prestige
PU's Professors argue that the image of the university will be further tarnished if the one accused in bribery case continues to hold the dean's position.
“Allowing the bribe accused to hold the prestigious position of a dean will tarnish the image of the university. So, we have drawn the attention of the university,” said Yagya Raj Kattel, president of the Democratic Professors' Association at the university.
Raj Narayan has been accused of receiving Rs 7.8 million from Lambodar Neupane, chief of the management committee of Nepal Engineering College, promising to help Neupane in settling the college's ownership row. The ownership row was exposed after some dissident groups of the management committee registered a complaint at the anti-graft body at a time when Neupane was quietly working to transfer the public college into a private one by registering it at the Office of the Company Registrar.
Raj Narayan had allegedly received the bribe promising to support Neupane. Audio and video records taken while conducting a sting operation has revealed that Subha Narayan Pathak was also involved in the bribery case.
Asked about the university's reluctance to take action against the bribe accused Subha Narayan, Vice-chancellor Ghanshyam Lal Das said the university has already started legal consultations on how to take action against the dean.
“So far, the CIAA has not dispatched any letter in connection to his involvement in bribe. Yet, we are consulting with the legal experts about his case,” said Das adding, “We will move ahead as per the suggestions that we receive after consultations.”
Informed officials at the university say Subha Narayan was re-appointed as dean following the pressure from the anti-graft body, where his brother Raj Narayan was assigned to oversee corruption related cases in the education sector. After getting appointed as the university's dean for the second term, Subha Narayan has been living in Kathmandu, according to sources.
