Sikkim varsity head granted bail

NIRMAL MANGAR, TT, Gangtok, May 8: A court here today granted bail to chairman of EIILM University Vinay Kumar Rai, who had been arrested for allegedly issuing forged marksheet and certificate of a course that is not taught at the institution.

Apart from Rai, vice-chancellor O.V. Vijayan, registrar Col. (retired) Alok Bhandari and controller of examinations Vijay Dahiya had also been arrested from Jorethang in South Sikkim on Monday in connection with the case. The three were granted bail yesterday.

Rai, who had been detained by Bengal police at the Bagdogra Airport yesterday, was brought to Gangtok last night. Rai was produced in the chief judicial magistrate’s court which released him on bail. “We had sought a police remand of five days but judge Ujwal Khatiwara granted Rai bail,” said a police source.

According to sources, Rai made a silent exit from Sikkim after he had been asked to come to the Gangtok police station to record his statement.

“He was trying to fly to Delhi from Bagdogra. But we alerted Bengal police who picked up Rai from Bagdogra yesterday,” said the police source.

The police said the four officials of the private university had issued the fake certificate and marksheet to a girl from outside Sikkim saying she had obtained a master’s degree in education from the institution.

Rai, Vijayan, Bhandari and Dahiya have been charged with forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy.

Classes on the university campus at Jorethang were being held “smoothly” despite the arrest of the four top officials. “It is true that we are getting a lot of queries from students and parents on the arrests. But it has nothing to do with the studies. The classes are being held smoothly as usual,” said a faculty member.

The varsity has 275 students who pursue different subjects.