Kerala Univeristy to recover ₹17L from Latin American centre director

SLUG-Payment Goof-Up

T’puram: In a bizarre turn of events, Kerala University (KU) has asked Girish R Kumar, the director of its Centre for Latin American Studies, to pay around Rs 17 lakh, which the centre had lost due to an oversight by State Bank of India (SBI). The bank had deducted $20,000 from the centre’s account at Thejaswini branch while carrying out instructions to pay Rs 20,000 to Brazil-based journalist Milan Sime Martinic, who had delivered four online lectures on Latin American politics in 2023. Now, KU has asked Kumar to pay the money on the grounds that he did not obtain prior permission to pay money in foreign exchange.

The erroneous transaction led to an excess fund transfer of Rs 16,50,000. The bank later admitted in a letter (a copy of which is with TOI) to Kumar on Oct 18, 2023 that despite several attempts, it could not process a refund. “We are extremely sorry to mention that the delay in getting the funds refunded will result in a financial liability on bank officials, who were involved in the fund transfer. If the erroneously transferred money is not refunded by the recipient, the bank will be recovering it from the officials and the process towards the same has already been initiated,” said the letter.

Despite Kumar’s repeated requests, KU did not follow up with the bank even though it had admitted its lapse. “The move to hold the centre’s director responsible for the mistake, instead of recovering it from the bank, is illegal and condemnable,” said Kerala University Teachers Organisation (KUTO).

“The ombudsman who probed the matter had directed that the bank take legal action along with KU against Martinic. Following this, the executive committee of the centre, chaired by VC, decided to recover the excess amount. Subsequently, the syndicate subcommittee that studied the matter and KU’s audit department recommended legal action against the bank,” said KUTO.

KUTO pointed out that Kumar had given several letters to KU and the bank to recover the excess amount, but the university did not act for two-and-a-half years. KUTO alleged that the VC deliberately deferred the decision without submitting the syndicate subcommittee’s report for the syndicate’s consideration. The attempts to get back the excess money from Martinic failed as he died in 2024.