CB inquiry into fire mishap hangs fire

BERHAMPUR: Delay by Crime Branch (CB) in completing its inquiry into the fire incident in confidential examination section in the administrative building of Berhampur University despite the order of the Chancellor has raised eyebrows.Based on the allegations of corruption, irregularities, misappropriation of funds and violation and misuse of the provisions of statutes and regulations relating to administrative and examination matters in the university, the Chancellor in 2009 had asked the commissioner-cum-secretary, Higher Education Department, to conduct a thorough inquiry and submit a report in three months.  Prof B K Sahu was the then vice-chancellor of the varsity.Accordingly, the then commissioner-cum-secretary Madhusudan Padhi visited the university five times and examined records relating to appointment and promotion of teachers and employees, constructions, e-governance and material procurement.While the inquiry process was on, a mysterious fire broke out in the well-protected confidential section on the second floor of the administrative block on November 2 the same year.Although attempts were made to make the fire look like an accident due to short circuit, an electrical inspector as well as a fire inspector after thorough verification inferred that short circuit was not the cause.It only lent credence to the suspicion that the fire incident was a conspiracy by some vested interests to destroy the records the secretary was due to inspect. The room’s location is such that to reach it a person has to cross four iron grill gates of which three are in the confidential section.  Besides, the keys of the gates were supposed to be with the Controller of Examination and without his knowledge none could enter the place.Such a mishap damaging vital documents relating to future of thousands of students had been unprecedented in the history of the University.In a bid to dig out the facts, the Chancellor’s office asked the DGP to initiate CB inquiry into the fire in December the following year.Following this, a team of the Crime Branch led by an Inspector had raided the campus and held discussions with the University authorities.  Later they also collected information about the fire mishap from Gopalpur and Sadar police.Meanwhile, three years have passed since then, there has been no headway into the investigation.