CBI Probes Bribery Scandal Involving KLEF and NAAC Officials

GUNTUR: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is gathering crucial evidence in the sensational bribe-for-ratings scam involving the Guntur-based Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KLEF) and officials of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). The agency is currently probing the procurement of gold, laptops, and other electronic gadgets that were allegedly offered as bribes to the NAAC inspection team.

KLEF, a deemed-to-be university located in Vaddeswaram, Guntur district, was awarded an A++ Grade accreditation by NAAC. However, investigations revealed that the university management allegedly offered cash, gold, and electronic devices to secure re-accreditation for the period 2024-2029.

According to CBI sources, the NAAC inspection committee, comprising seven members, colluded with the KLEF management to manipulate the accreditation process. The committee, led by chairman Samarendra Nath Saha and member coordinator Rajeev Sijariya, included members D. Gopal, Rajesh Singh Pawar, Manas Kumar Mishra, Gayatri Devaraja, and Bulu Maharana. These officials allegedly accepted bribes in exchange for issuing a favorable report for KLEF.

Former NAAC deputy adviser L. Manjunatha Rao and Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC-NAAC) Director M. Hanumanthappa are believed to have played a key role in assembling the inspection panel, ensuring that only cooperative members were assigned to the accreditation process. KLEF Vice-Chancellor G.P. Saradhi Varma and other university officials reportedly requested the NAAC team to award a rating of 3.65 points or above, ensuring the institution’s retention of its A++ Grade.

The CBI, which is conducting a thorough probe into the case, arrested ten individuals, including members of the NAAC inspection committee and KLEF officials. The accused were produced before the court on February 1 and have been remanded to judicial custody.

Sources revealed that the accused, who stayed at a hotel in Vijayawada, accepted cash, gold ornaments, laptops, and a mobile phone in New Delhi and Vijayawada. Investigators are now tracing the sources from which the KLEF management procured these bribes and are exploring all possible angles in the case.

As the investigation deepens, the CBI is expected to unearth further details about the bribery network and its impact on the accreditation system in higher education institutions.