Board of IIM Rohtak decides to send director on leave till probe ends

IIM Rohtak’s Board of Governors has decided to place the institute’s director Dheeraj Sharma on leave and asked him to leave the campus till the inquiry against him for misappropriation of funds gets over. However, the decision against Sharma will only be implemented after the court’s decision as the matter is sub judice before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

On February 24, the Centre had sought President Droupadi Murmu’s approval to launch an inquiry into the misappropriation of funds during Sharma’s tenure. He is also facing the charge of manipulating figures to pay huge amounts of salary to him.

The inquiry order was issued by the Centre on March 5.

Last month, Sharma filed a petition in Punjab and Haryana High Court to quash orders for conducting an inquiry against him and sending him on a long leave. While the court allowed the meeting of the Board of Governors to proceed, the Bench, at the same time, made it clear that any decision taken would be kept in abeyance until the next hearing.

Sharma will also face scrutiny for misrepresenting his educational qualifications to secure his initial term as IIM-Rohtak Director in 2017. Sharma served an initial term as the institute’s director from 2017 to 2022. In 2022, he was reappointed for a second term, which is to end in 2027.

In a letter to Jai Dev Shroff, chairman of the board, IIM Rohtak, Sunil Kumar Biswas, Deputy Secretary to the Union Government (Ministry of Education), has directed the board of IIM Rohtak that Sharma be sent on long leave.

“The director, IIM-Rohtak, may be sent on long leave/kept on suspension till completion of inquiry and may be instructed to stay outside all the campuses, rented area of IIM, Rohtak, till further orders. The charge of director, IIM Rohtak, may be handed over to some other faculty, who has not been associated with financial matters of the institute till date,” the order read.

Haryana Tribune