FIR against college, Professor over alleged research publication fraud
Police have filed an FIR against a Coimbatore-based college and a professor following allegations of research publication fraud. A PhD scholar claims he was cheated after paying for a publication that appeared in a clone journal rather than the promised UGC-CARE listed journal.
Why it matters
This case highlights the prevalence of predatory academic publishing and the legal consequences for institutions involved in research misconduct.
The Aluva West police have registered a first information report (FIR) against Coimbatore-based Sree Narayana Guru College and its department head on charges including cheating and forgery, based on a complaint filed by a PhD scholar.
The petitioner, Sachu Muraleedharan, a PhD scholar at Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kalamassery, had earlier filed a private petition before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Aluva, which subsequently directed the police to take appropriate action.
The police have arraigned the college, represented by its chairman, and Maria Yesuraja, Professor and head of the Department of Social Work, as the first and second accused respectively. They have been charged under Sections 316 (criminal breach of trust), 314 (dishonest misappropriation of property), 318 (cheating), 336(3) (forgery), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
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