VADODARA/ ANAND: Almost two years after he was nabbed by sleuths of the anti-corruption bureau ( ACB ) while accepting a bribe from his PhD student, professor Hitesh Patel, former head of department of sociology of Sardar Patel University SPU ) has been terminated.The Vallabh Vidyanagar based university in Anand district took the decision to terminate the former head with immediate effect on Monday during their syndicate meeting – the first after the new body got elected. In July 2016, he was nabbed red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 90,000 from PhD student Milan Patel, a resident of Thasra taluka. Patel was suspended by the university pending inquiry.Later, after some former students complained of similar harassment by Patel, the then district collector of Anand had also ordered an inquiry under a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM). While the SDM continued his probe by registering statements of students, who had claimed that they were victimised, the demand to permanently terminate the services of the accused professor had gained momentum at the campus.It was on May 12 last year that SPU had formed a probe committee under retired judge M B Trivedi. The probe committee which comprised of three members had submitted its report on March 13 and held Patel guilty in the case. Based on this report, the university’s syndicate body decided to terminate the professor.

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