Key Highlights: CBI Case Against Nagaland University Dean
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Who is Accused:
Dr. Chitta Ranjan Deb, Dean of School of Sciences & Director of IQAC, Department of Botany, Nagaland University. -
Charges Filed:
Corruption and misuse of official position for personal financial gain. -
Nature of Allegation:
Demanded bribes from at least two companies in exchange for awarding tenders worth ₹23 lakh for supply of scientific equipment and UPS batteries.
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CBI Action:
Raids were conducted on July 12, 2025, in Jorhat (Assam), Lumami (Nagaland), and Agartala (Tripura). -
Evidence Recovered:
Incriminating documents, tender files, and bribe transaction records from the professor’s office and vendor premises.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against a senior professor of Nagaland University on corruption charges on July 12, the agency said on Tuesday. CBI has registered a case against Dr. Chitta Ranjan Deb, Dean of the School of Sciences and Director of IQAC, Department of Botany. It’s another disturbing example of how deeply corruption has crept into our public institutions
According to the CBI, Dr. Deb stands accused of misusing his official position to carry out a supply order scam worth lakhs of rupees. The agency alleges that the professor was involved in “Corrupt and illegal practices” with clear premeditation. Which causing wrongful losses to the university while securing personal financial gain.
The bribes, as per the CBI’s first information report, were allegedly solicited from at least two companies in exchange for awarding tenders to supply scientific equipment and consumables, including UPS batteries worth ₹23 lakh. These supply contracts were meant to support academic research. Instead, they appear to have been used as bargaining chips in a brazen pay-to-play scheme.
“Searches were conducted at different places viz. Jorhat (Assam), Lumani (Nagaland) and Agartala (Tripura) on 12.07.2025 and subsequent dates which led to recovery of incriminating documents relating to transaction of bribe as well as tender related documents from the offices of bidders/companies and accused,” the CBI statement said.
This is not just about a few envelopes stuffed with cash. It is about the slow poisoning of public trust. At a time when higher education institutions are already reeling under staff shortages, budget constraints, and infrastructure decay, the alleged actions of a senior academic further erode the credibility of our universities.
CBI teams swung into action on July 12, carrying out coordinated raids across three states—Jorhat in Assam, Lumami in Nagaland, and Agartala in Tripura. These searches reportedly found incriminating documents, including tender files and records of bribe transactions. Evidence was recovered not just from the professor’s office but also from the premises of vendor companies involved in the deals.
What this case highlights is not just the rot in one institution, but the broader, institutionalised nature of academic corruption in India. Where the classroom is often sidelined by contract politics and where education becomes a business, not a public good.
The CBI has confirmed that “the investigation is ongoing.”
