Odisha: Sanjiv Mittal Resigns As Sambalpur University VC

Bhubaneswar: Sanjiv Mittal, who got embroiled in a series of controversies, has resigned as Vice-Chancellor of Sambalpur University in Odisha and his resignation has been accepted, official sources said on Saturday.

Mittal tendered his resignation from the post on medical ground on August 28 and Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, who is the Chancellor of the University, has accepted it after careful consideration with effect from that day, they said.

The Chancellor further ordered that the Chairman of PG Council of Sambalpur University will continue as in-charge Vice-Chancellor till regular VC joins or until further orders.

It may be noted that Mittal had gone on leave in July amid allegations of embezzlement of funds, abetment of suicide by a contractual staff and providing incorrect information about scholarly achievements against him.

He had handed over the charges to chairperson of the university’s PG Council Dr Sanjukta Dash after sending the leave application to Chancellor’s office. It was speculated that the move to go on long leave was to escape official action on the basis of the allegations made against him.

While Lajpat Rai Law College Alumni Association has lodged an FIR against Mittal accusing him of embezzling funds from the college, Burla police has filed a case against him over the self-immolation of the university’s contractual employee Dinabandhu Mishra.

In the FIR, the Association alleged that Mittal illegally transferred Rs 69,67,000 from LR Law College to the university and misappropriated it. It has lodged the complaint in this regard at Dhanupali police station in May this year.

In the suicide case of Mishra, the Burla police has booked the vice-chancellor and Warden Biswajit Satpathy after the former’s son lodged a complaint. Mishra, who was a contractual employee of the university, was allegedly harassed and abused. He took the extreme step of immolating himself when the academic council meeting was underway on the university campus on April 20 last year.

Mittal also faced allegation of providing incorrect information about his scholarly achievements in his application for the VC post.

Mittal was not immediately available to comment.