May 24: The CBI today registered a corruption case against former Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor Sushanta Dattagupta and three other officials and searched five university establishments in Santiniketan and one in Calcutta.

The searches were carried out in connection with the probe into alleged financial irregularities by Dattagupta and appointments made in violation of rules. The investigative agency also went to Dattagupta's house in south Calcutta, but he was not present.

"Besides Dattagupta, the agency has booked D. Gunasekaran, a former Visva-Bharati registrar who is now the registrar of IIT Bhubaneswar, Visva-Bharati deputy registrar Shyamala Ray Nair and finance officer Atul Prakash Trivedi," said CBI spokesperson R.K. Gaur.

They have been charged with corruption and criminal conspiracy. "It was alleged that the accused persons had entered into a criminal conspiracy among themselves and appointed Ray Nair as the deputy registrar in violation of UGC rules," the spokesperson said.

A 30-member CBI team today went to Visva-Bharati and split into six groups before going to the official residence of the VC, Purbita in Purba Pally, and Dattagupta's home, Santineer in Santiniketan.

CBI sources said files related to appointments were seized from each of the seven addresses.

A senior varsity official said Dattagupta had promoted Ray Nair to the post of deputy registrar from assistant registrar although she did not have the required marks.

"It is mandatory to have a minimum of 55 per cent marks in masters to be a deputy registrar. But Ray Nair had secured 51.11 per cent," said Rajesh K. Venugopal, the general secretary of the university teachers' organisation, Adhyapak Sabha.

The CBI visited the house of Ray Nair and seized some documents. She did not take calls or reply to a text message from this correspondent.

Dattagupta was accused of drawing salary from Visva-Bharati as well as pension from JNU. Besides, he had allegedly appointed provosts and directors in violation of UGC rules.

Dattagupta did not take calls from this newspaper today.

A CBI team met the finance officer of Visva-Bharati, Trivedi, and sought several documents from him, including papers relating to his appointment. The CBI also went to the office of the director of physical education and former registrar, Mani Mukut Mitra.

"I can't say what irregularities they are probing but the team came with a search warrant and I allowed them in," Trivedi said.

The CBI officers also met officiating VC Swapan Kumar Datta and sought documents relating to the appointments of 15 university officials.

A CBI team searched two addresses in Bhubaneswar, including the office of Gunasekaran.