Wed Sep 10 16:38:45 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the information, written in a style suitable for The Hindu:
**Headline: CBI Investigates JNU Professor, Five Others for Alleged ₹88 Lakh Misappropriation**
**New Delhi, September 10, 2025:** The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a case against A.L. Ramanathan, formerly a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) School of Environmental Sciences, and five other individuals for allegedly misappropriating over ₹88 lakh in project funds. The case stems from projects handled by Professor Ramanathan during his tenure.
The other individuals named in the CBI’s filing are identified as section officers Sneh R. Asiwal and Urmil Punhani, project assistant K. Murali, computer operator Ritesh Kumar, and contractual project staff Nazir Hussain.
The CBI’s investigation is a takeover of a case initially lodged with the Vasant Kunj North police station on February 2, 2022. The decision to transfer the case to the CBI followed approval from the Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi.
The allegations of misappropriation surfaced after a fact-finding committee, formed by JNU, scrutinized project records. According to the university, the committee uncovered discrepancies, including “wrong totals” in project ledgers that led to excess payments.
Following the committee’s findings, JNU initiated vigilance action against Professor Ramanathan and the other implicated individuals. The university also alerted the relevant funding agencies, including the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Department of Science and Technology, of the alleged irregularities.
The fact-finding committee further recommended that the licenses of vendors suspected of providing fraudulent bills through shell companies be revoked, that the firms be blacklisted, and that criminal cases be filed. They also flagged manipulated utilization certificates and recommended random audits to verify their authenticity.
The investigation is ongoing.
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