In a major development, Bulu Moharana, a professor from Sambalpur University, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as part of a crackdown on a bribery scheme allegedly aimed at securing favourable NAAC ratings.
The CBI arrested 10 individuals, including members of the NAAC Inspection Team and office bearers from an educational foundation based in Vaddeswaram, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. The foundation’s office bearers are accused of paying bribes to the public servants in exchange for granting an A++ accreditation to their institution.
Following the registration of the case, the CBI sealed Bulu Moharana’s official residence at Jyoti Vihar in Sambalpur city and initiated a search operation. The agency conducted raids at 20 locations across India, including cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Vijayawada, Palamu, Bhopal, Bilaspur, Gautam Budh Nagar, and New Delhi.
The CBI spokesperson confirmed that during the raids, Rs37 lakh in cash, six laptops, one iPhone, 16 mobile phones, and various other incriminating items were recovered. The agency also uncovered evidence of an alleged undue advantage paid to the NAAC Inspection Team members, which included cash and valuable items like gold.
The CBI’s ongoing investigation is expected to uncover further details of the bribery network involving NAAC ratings and the unethical practices that led to the A++ accreditation.
