CBI crackdown on NAAC accreditation scam; chairman, JNU Professor among 7 arrested

In a major crackdown on corruption within the higher education accreditation system, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the chairman and six members of a National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) inspection committee, including a professor from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The arrests are linked to an alleged bribery case involving the accreditation process, sources confirmed.  

Among those apprehended are G P Saradhi Varma, Vice Chancellor of the Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KLEF) in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur; Koneru Raja Hareen, KLEF's Vice President; and A Ramakrishna, Director of K L University, Hyderabad Campus. According to the investigating agency, they are accused of bribing NAAC committee members to secure an 'A' grade accreditation for KLEF.  

The arrested officials include Samarendra Nath Saha, Chairman of the NAAC inspection committee and Vice Chancellor of Ramchandra Chandravansi University, along with Rajeev Sijariya (JNU professor), D. Gopal (Dean of Bharath Institute of Law), Rajesh Singh Pawar (Dean of Jagran Lakecity University), Manas Kumar Mishra (Director of G L Bajaj Institute of Technology & Management), Gayathri Devaraja (Professor at Davangere University), and Bulu Maharana (Professor at Sambalpur University).  

Additionally, the CBI has named Koneru Satyanarayana, President of KLEF; former NAAC Deputy Adviser L Manjunatha Rao; M Hanumanthappa, Professor and Director (IQAC-NAAC) at Bangalore University; and NAAC Adviser M S Shyamsundar as accused in the case. However, they have not been taken into custody as of now.  

The investigative agency conducted extensive searches at 20 locations across Chennai, Bengaluru, Vijayawada, Palamu, Sambalpur, Bhopal, Bilaspur, Gautam Budh Nagar, and New Delhi, leading to the seizure of Rs 37 lakh in cash, six Lenovo laptops, an iPhone 16 Pro, and other incriminating evidence.  

A CBI spokesperson stated that the accused officials allegedly accepted bribes in the form of cash, gold, mobile phones, and laptops to manipulate the accreditation process. The case remains under investigation, with further developments anticipated in the coming days.