GIPE Accuses SIS Prez of Fund Misuse

Tensions have escalated between Pune's prestigious Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE) and its parent body, the Servants of India Society (SIS), with both sides locked in a public dispute over alleged financial improprieties and governance issues.

- Dheeraj Bengrut

PUNE:

In a strongly worded press statement issued on Thursday, GIPE's communication officer Parag Waghmare accused SIS president Damodar Sahoo of misusing government funds for a personal legal battle. The statement stated Sahoo should also be named as an accused in an ongoing FIR pertaining to a fund diversion case in which Milind Deshmukh, secretary of the 120-year-old body, has already been arrested.

"Sahoo demanded money (₹10 lakh) from the Gokhale Institute in 2023. The demand closely mirrors actions of Milind Deshmukh, who is already accused in the same case," the statement said.

According to the press release, the case involves "serious allegations of land grab and forgery" and began as a criminal writ petition that resulted in an FIR.

"This raises a grave concern regarding the misuse of government funds from the Gokhale Institute—which is a public grant-receiving institution—for private legal matters arising from alleged criminal acts. This is not just financial misconduct but a betrayal of public trust and the principles of Gopal Krishna Gokhale," the statement said.

The GIPE, a deemed university under Section 3 of the UGC Act, operates independently with SIS being its parent body. The institute has warned that any attempt to misuse its resources constitutes a violation of UGC norms and institutional autonomy.