Former Kannur University Physics head gets six-year RI in forgery case

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The Thalassery Vigilance Court on Thursday (September 17) sentenced a former head of the Physics department at Kannur University’s Swami Ananda Theertha (SAT) campus, Payyannur, to a total of six years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹80,000 in a case involving alleged use of forged documents to make an unauthorised appointment and draw salary.

Vigilance Judge K. Ramakrishnan found N.K. Deepak, a native of Chirakkal, guilty under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code. The court granted him bail after pronouncing the sentence.

According to the prosecution case, Deepak, while serving as head of the Physics department in 2008, had sought permission from the University Vice-Chancellor on June 26, 2008, to appoint a person on a daily wage basis against a vacant professional assistant post.

The investigation found that, following permission, a forged document purportedly establishing the educational qualification required for the post was prepared in the name of an employee who was then working temporarily in a similar post in the Chemistry department. A false address was also allegedly incorporated in the document.

The prosecution alleged that the forged document was subsequently used to mislead university authorities into believing that the person had been appointed as a Professional Assistant in the Physics department.

The accused was also found guilty of drawing the salary for August and September 2008 by allegedly forging the signature of D. Vinod Kumar, according to the prosecution.

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), Kannur unit, had registered the case and completed the investigation before filing the chargesheet before the Vigilance Court. The investigation was conducted by former Kannur Vigilance DySP V. Madhusoodanan and DySP Babu Peringeth. Mr. Peringeth filed the chargesheet before the court. Public Prosecutor Anoop K.B. appeared for the prosecution.

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