Thursday morning witnessed confusion among students of the Mumbai Education Trust (MET) Institute of Management, Mumbai as news reports about Sunil Karve, a founder-trustee and vice-chairman of MET lodging a complaint with the commissioner of Mumbai police alleging misappropriation of trust funds to the tune of Rs 177 crore by Maharashtra PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal and his family.
While lectures went on as usual during the day, student were seen talking in whispers, hoping to be told what the real issue was. With no clarification or briefing coming from the administration, the students were longing for interaction on the issue with the college authorities when PaGaLGuY visited the campus this morning.
Since yesterday, Mumbai’s local media has been rife with the news of Sunil Karve (who has been associated with MET since its beginning, 1989) alleging in a police complaint that some parts of the MET complex were being used for personal purposes of the Bhujbal family.
The MET complex was set up at Mumbai’s Bandra Reclamation suburb on land leased from civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on the condition that it would be used for educational purposes. The complaint however states that the eighth floor of the institute has been used by Bhujbals daughters-in-law Vishakha and Shefali for running their furniture business called ‘IDEEN furniture. On the IDEEN website too, the office address was written as ‘8th level, MET building’ at the time of writing this article. The complaint also mentions that the 10th floor was being used as a residence of the Bhujbal family.
While many students were apprehensive about their placements getting affected due to this controversy, there were also students who were expecting to be briefed by the administration with immediate effect.
I did check the newspaper stories in the morning. It is very disappointing that as students who are part of the institute have not received any formal briefing or update on the matter from the administration of MET yet, said a final year management student who did not wished to be named.
She further said, We have paid fees of about Rs 6 lakh for a two-year course. If our institute is in the news for internal controversies, we as students should definitely be roped in with a briefing.
Another final year management student said, As a part of the curriculum we have been taught conflict management. However, when there is a real-life crisis why does the institute refuse to update its students?
I don’t think that our placements will be affected because of the controversy is related to the board members and trustees. I even smell some political gimmick as municipal elections are round the corner. However, as a student I would appreciate some dialogue by the institute, said a first year student of management.
Vijay Page, director-general of the Institute of Management, MET told PaGaLGuY, Our faculty, students and academic proceedings are not at all affected because of the controversy out in the media. Classes were held as usual and it is an internal matter between the board of trustees so I will not like to give any knee-jerk reaction.
He further said, I have not received any queries from students or faculty yet, so it is too early to provide them any stand. However, if there are a series of news reports in the media and if students demand any such briefing we shall take a call only after a joint discussion with the administration.
When contacted, Samir Bhujbal, Chhagan Bhujbal’s nephew who is also a trustee of the college said, We have not received any notification or call from the police commissioner’s office yet. I stand by the statements made by Mr Chhagan Bhujbal to the media yesterday. Currently, I am busy with the election preparation and will not be able to furnish any details.
Sayaji Nangre, legal advocate of Karve said, “We have filed another complaint today at the police commissioner’s office as the furniture on the 8th floor office has been shifted overnight, thereby amount to tampering of evidence.”