Defamatory emails target JAU vice-chancellor

Rajkot: The Junagadh Cyber police have registered a complaint over a series of allegedly defamatory and threatening emails sent from a fake email ID targeting the vice-chancellor of Junagadh Agricultural University (JAU) and his son.According to the complaint, Yogeshkumar Ghelani, registrar of JAU, approached the cyber police after multiple emails were received accusing the university administration of irregularities in recruitment. Ghelani stated that the first such email was received on Dec 7, 2022, at around 11.28pm on the university's official email ID.The emails, sent from an unidentified email address, allegedly contained false and unsubstantiated allegations against vice-chancellor Chovatiya and his son, Jay Chovatiya. Despite being asked to submit evidence in support of the claims, the sender reportedly failed to provide any proof.The matter escalated on Oct 2, 2025, when an email was allegedly sent to the chief secretary to the chief minister, vice-chancellors and registrars of all four agricultural universities in the state. The email reportedly used derogatory language while referring to chief minister Bhupendra Patel and included threats to remove the vice-chancellor and his son from their positions at JAU.During preliminary investigations, cyber police found that the fake email ID was allegedly created using three mobile numbers registered in the name of Kinjal Bhandari, a resident of Junagadh. Police said Bhandari had earlier worked as a temporary employee at the university and was later dismissed from service.Investigators suspect that resentment over his dismissal may have driven him to create the fake email ID and circulate threatening and defamatory emails with the intent to tarnish the reputation of the university and its officials.The complaint has been registered under Sections 351(4) and 345(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66C of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act.