CBI books former Aligarh Muslim University V-C Naseem Ahmad, two others for alleged irregularities in appointment

New Delhi: The CBI has booked former vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University Naseem Ahmad in connection with alleged irregularities and cheating in the appointment of an official in the university in 2005. The CBI action has come nearly 10 years after Ahmad had resigned from the position in 2007. He was the vice chancellor between 2002 and 2007. [caption id=“attachment_4287019” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Naseem Ahmad. Image courtesy: News18[/caption] The case pertains to the appointment of Shakaib Arsalan as assistant finance officer in the AMU in 2005 in alleged violation of provisions of the AMU Act and rules, officials said in New Delhi. The CBI has registered a case of criminal conspiracy, cheating and provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act against Arsalan (now Joint Finance Officer), finance officer Yasmin Jalal Beg and Ahmad, they said. It is alleged that the vacancy for the post of assistant finance officer (AFO) and deputy finance officer were advertised by the AMU on 1 January, 2004 for which 22 candidates had applied. Among the 22 candidates, nine were found to be eligible for the post of the AFO which did not include Arsalan, the preliminary enquiry of the CBI into the allegations has found. Arsalan submitted a representation that his degree of Chartered Accountant is not being considered equivalent to a post-graduate degree in the shortlisting process whereas an AMU notification recognises these degrees as equivalent, it alleged. He requested for his consideration for the interview held on 3 February, 2005, it said. Beg, then deputy finance officer, allegedly in violation of laid down procedure recommended the candidature of Arsalan for an interview on the grounds that CA degree is the optimum qualification for any finance person and if a CA has applied for the position of the AFO, he will be an asset for the department. It has surfaced during the CBI preliminary enquiry that Beg had put the note even though the file was not marked to her, the CBI alleged. The note was forwarded through the registrar and approved by Ahmad, it alleged. The CBI preliminary enquiry also found that there was one more candidate with a CA degree with 60 percent marks and several other candidates who had scored over 55 percent marks in PG examination as per advertised eligibility conditions of the University, the FIR said. Arsalan in his representation had concealed that he scored less that 55 percent marks in CA examination and misled the officials by enclosing his part one marksheet which showed 55 percent marks, it alleged. Beg concealed that there was one more candidate with a CA degree and recommended Arsalan’s candidature as part of the “criminal conspiracy”, it alleged. Based on the interview Arsalan’s was one of the three candidates recommended for the position of AFO which was approved by the vice-chancellor on behalf of the Executive Council. The CBI found that the vice chancellor can use special powers on behalf of the Executive Council of the University but such decisions mandatorily should be reported to the Council which was not done in the meeting held on 4 October, 2005, the FIR alleged. “It has thus revealed that Ahmad though not competent to relax the qualification deviated from the advertised qualification and approved the candidature of Arsalan to be called for interview for the post of Assistant Finance Officer in AMU. Further, the relaxation and deviation in the matter of appointment were not reported to the Executive Council and neither ratified from them,” the FIR alleged.