HoD Dr Bhadange suspended for demanding money from researcher

Aurangabad, March 31:

The administration of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (BAMU) suspended Dr Ujjwala Bhadange from the post of head of the Education Department for demanding money from a researcher.

According to details, an audio clip of an education department head demanding Rs 50,000 from a lady researcher went viral on social media on Wednesday.

The researcher lodged a complaint with the vice-chancellor yesterday stating that the department head had threatened her to pay Rs 50,000.

The communication clip between the department head and researcher was viral on social media groups. This maligned the image of the university which maintains a social commitment and all-around development for the students of the region.

Taking the matter seriously, vice-chancellor Dr Pramod Yeole suspended Dr Bhadange today as per the different sections of Maharashtra Public Universities Act 2016 including 12 (9).

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Show cause notice serve

Bamu administration served a show-cause notice seeking clarification on the case within seven days.

On receiving her say, the administration will set up a probe committee. After the probe, her research guide will be withdrawn and existing Ph D researchers will be shifted to another guide.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the students union met the VC Dr Yeole yesterday demanding stern action against the department head. The delegation comprises Senator Vijay Subukde, RPI leader Nagraj Gaikwad, NSUI leader Diksha Pawar, Mrunalini Deshpande, Lokesh Kamble, Amol Kharat and Anjali Ghanbahadur.

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The researcher Anjali Ghanbahadur said that Dr Bhadange sought Rs 25,000 now and the remaining Rs 25,000 at the time of viva. “Dr Bhadange is not my guide, how can she ask for money. I have made a complaint with the vice-chancellor on Wednesday. I have lodged a complaint with the police,” she said.

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University admin not learnt any lesson from past cases

Three to four cases of demanding a bribe by the research guides from researchers were reported during the last few years. The students' unions said that such type of cases has an impact on the university’s image.

“The tainted research guides got clean chit at the end. The university has not learnt any lessons from the past cases. The reason is that the officers from the administration did not conduct forensic laboratory test on the audio clips in the past cases.

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Guides of past cases not mended their ways

Unless the administration takes strict action, there is no doubt that similar cases will happen in the future also,” they said. They said that those who were guilty and got a clean chit in earlier cases have not mended their ways.