A day after the Periyar University Vice-Chancellor R. Jagannathan was arrested on the charges of cheating, forgery and for making casteist remarks, Salem City Police team launched searches on Wednesday at his residence, office and premises linked to him.
After his arrest, the V-C was produced before Judicial Magistrate No. II J. Dhineshkumaran at his residence at 3 a.m. on Wednesday. The V-C moved a bail application, and the magistrate granted him bail for seven days and asked him to sign at the register at the Office of the Assistant Commissioner of Police in Suramangalam daily. At 11 a.m., as per his bail conditions, Jagannathan, accompanied by his lawyers, signed the register at the Office of the Assistant Commissioner of Police and left.
Later in the afternoon, teams comprising seven Inspectors of Police and Sub-Inspectors began the searches at his residence, office, guest house, Registrar Office, and few other offices, all located on the university premises. Also, a team began searches at the residence of Registrar K. Thangavel (full additional charge) at an apartment in Suramangalam. Sources in the Police Department said searches began at 3 p.m. at seven places and were continuing.
On Tuesday, a complaint was filed by I. Elangovan, legal advisor, Periyar University Employees Union (PUEU) that both the V-C and the Registrar, along with two other professors, started a private company, Periyar University Technology Entrepreneurship and Research (PUTER) Foundation, without obtaining permission from the government. He also claimed misappropriation of university funds by the four.
The Karuppur police registered a case against Jagannathan, Thangavel and two others under Sections 294 (b) (uttering obscene words) 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 409 r/w 511 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 506 (ii) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
Since the complainant said the V-C threatened and made casteist remarks against him when he met him at the university on Tuesday, the police also included Sections 3(1) (r) (intentionally insults with intent to humiliate a member of a SC) and 3(1) (s) (abusing any member of SC by caste name in any place within public view) of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
