Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has suspended Professor Rajeev Sijariya after his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a corruption case, news agency PTI reported on Wednesday.

 The suspension order, issued by JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree Pandit on Monday, states that Sijariya, a professor at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee School of Management and Entrepreneurship, has been found prima facie involved in the case, details of which came out on February 1.

 What is the NAAC bribery case?

The case revolves around allegations that bribes were paid to secure an A++ rating for Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KLEF) in Vaddeswaram, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, during a National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) inspection.

Who has been arrested?

The CBI arrested 10 individuals, including the chairman and six members of the NAAC inspection committee, on Saturday. Among those arrested is Professor Sijariya from JNU.

 Apart from Sijariya, the arrested individuals include:

• G P Saradhi Varma, vice-chancellor, KLEF
• Koneru Raja Hareen, vice-president, KLEF
• A Ramakrishna, director, KL University, Hyderabad campus
• D Gopal, dean, Bharath Institute of Law
• Rajesh Singh Pawar, dean, Jagran Lakecity University
• Manas Kumar Mishra, director, GL Bajaj Institute of Technology & Management
• Gayathri Devaraja, professor, Davangere University
• Bulu Maharana, professor, Sambalpur University

 The CBI FIR also names KLEF president Koneru Satyanarayana, NAAC former deputy adviser L Manjunatha Rao, and NAAC adviser M S Shyamsundar, though they have not been arrested yet.

How did the alleged bribery work?

According to the CBI, KLEF officials sought favourable accreditation by bribing NAAC inspection committee members.

 

The FIR, reviewed by The Indian Express, states that the initial demand was ₹1.80 crore to influence the inspection report.

 After negotiations, it was agreed that:

• Each committee member would receive ₹3 lakh and a laptop
• The committee chairman would be paid ₹10 lakh
• Professor Sijariya, who played a key role in drafting the inspection report, allegedly received ₹10 lakh upfront
• The deal was finalised in meetings held in Delhi between KLEF officials and Professor Sijariya.

 CBI raid: ₹37 lakh cash, laptops, and more seized

The CBI conducted searches at 20 locations across India, recovering: