CHENNAI: Unraveling one of the biggest thefts in the history of Madras University, a three-member committee headed by former DGP K.Ramanujam has indicted 13 non-teaching staff as responsible for missing 30,000 answer scripts from the university premises.
To erase the evidence of exam scam at Institute of Distance Education in Madras University, the scamsters looted totally 116 boxes each containing nearly 300 answer scripts in a truck in February this year.
Unable to distinguish the disputed answer scripts, the scamsters have allegedly removed entire boxes kept in the strong room at the university's centenary auditorium.
The syndicate of the Madras University before which the inquiry report was placed on Friday, has accepted the report and authorised Vice-Chancellor P. Duraisamy to take action against the erring staff members.
The committee also consists of Professor A.David Ambrose, head, department of legal studies of the university and T.P. Radhakrishnan, principal, Madras Sanskrit College, as members
In the inquiry report running into two volumes, the committee has named 13 staff members for the negligence of duty and for possible involvement in the theft.
"The report consists two major volumes. We will study the report and propose the punishment in the next syndicate meeting for approval," P.Duraisamy, vice-chancellor of Madras University.
After conducting the inquiry with 130 persons during the course of four months, the report indicated that 13 members should be held accountable for their negligence in discharging their duty.
The report arrives at two conclusions - First, they could have cleared answer sheets weighing two-tonnes by disposing of it as scrap in exchange for money and another possibility, answer sheets could have been removed to erase the evidence for ongoing inquiry against three study centres for involving in the exam scam.
The committee has also suggested various measures including installing more CCTV cameras and tightening up the security to prevent such incidents in future.
"The committee has pointed out the lapses on the part of the university. We will take the measures suggested by the committee seriously and create the system so such things will not happen in future," Professor Duraisamy said.
Besides the inquiry, the university has also lodged a complaint with the Central Crime Branch of city police.
"The police inquiry should reveal where the looted answer scripts were gone and if there were any conspiracy angle was involved in the theft," university officials said.
