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), over allegations of bribery in exchange for a favorable NAAC rating.
According to a statement from the agency, searches were conducted across 20 locations in India, including Chennai, Bangalore, Vijayawada, Palamu, Sambalpur, Bhopal, Bilaspur, Gautam Budh Nagar, and New Delhi.
During the raids, officials seized approximately ₹37 lakh in cash, six Lenovo laptops, an iPhone 16 Pro, and other incriminating evidence. The CBI revealed that members of the NAAC inspection team had allegedly received bribes in the form of gold, mobile phones, and other valuables from representatives of an educational foundation based in Guntur. The agency stated that the investigation remains ongoing.
In a separate case, the CBI has filed a second supplementary charge sheet against Deepankar Barman, the alleged mastermind behind a ₹400 crore ponzi scheme, operated through his company, DB Stock Consultancy, in Assam. Authorities claim that funds from unsuspecting investors were misappropriated through this scheme.
The CBI noted that charge sheets had already been filed against four other accused individuals—Monalisha Das, Chabin Barman, Deepali Talukdar, and Mukesh Agrawal—who are currently facing trial. In its chargesheet before a special court in Guwahati, the agency alleged that Chabin Barman, who was arrested in Goa on October 27, had been running five unregulated schemes, misleading investors with promises of high returns.
The agency further stated that the accused had issued ₹100 stamp papers as proof of investment, but by June 2024, payments had become irregular, leaving many investors without their promised returns.
