IIM-Rohtak sends director on leave till probe is over

FOLLOWING THE CENTRAL government's decision to launch an inquiry against IIM-Rohtak director Dheeraj Sharma, the institute's Board of Governors (BoG), in a meeting held last month, unanimously decided to send him on leave and also instructed him to move out of campus until the inquiry is over, it has been learnt.

- RITIKA CHOPRA

As first reported on February 24, the Centre had sought President Droupadi Murmu's approval to launch an inquiry into the misappropriation of public funds at IIM-Rohtak during Sharma's tenure, including the use of manipulated figures to pay huge amounts of variable salary to him.

The inquiry order was issued on March 5 and IIM-Mumbai director professor Manoj Tiwari has been asked to submit his report within three months.

With Sharma under scrutiny for allegedly misrepresenting his educational qualifications to secure his initial term as IIM-Rohtak director in 2017, the institute's failure to send Sharma's degree certificate to the ministry of education despite repeated requests will also be probed.

According to the minutes of the BoG meeting held on March 20, the Board took up the matter of the visitorial inquiry against Sharma after receiving two letters from the ministry of education on March 13 and March 19. The Board then decided to send him on leave till the completion of the inquiry and to also ask him to stay away from all campuses/rented areas of IIM-Rohtak till further orders. The minutes also state that Sharma would be given reasonable time to move out.