The Chennai-based Loyola college, a catholic educational institution being run by the Society of Jesus, it is learnt, could not get University status for failure to produce parent document of the land where it is housed and charges of misappropriation of University Grants Commission (UGC) funds, irregularities in appointments and other grounds.
The college, founded in 1925 by Francis Bertram, a French Jesuit priest, and other European Jesuits, is autonomous and affiliated with the University of Madras. Its centenary year is nearing in another couple of years. It has been in news for the wrong reasons. Faculty and staff have made sexual assault complaints against the college. It is considered JNU of the south for churning out a genre of students with Dravidian and left ideologies, deep routed hatred against Hindu gods. Both media and kollywood is dominated by its Viscom graduates who set the tone and narratives to further their missionary interests including proselytization and propagating Christianity.
Chennai-based investigative journalist Abhinav Vinayak, wrote to the UGC citing the testimony given by Father Albert Muthumalai in his book In December 2021.
In his complaint to the Chairman of UGC, Delhi citing the testimony given by Father Albert Muthumalai in his book in December 2021. He quoted the book of Rev Father Albert Muthumalai and said, “The funds received from University Grants Commission were to be used for research through LIFE (Loyola Institute of Frontier Energy) an initiative of Loyola College Chennai started in 1995 with Fr. Francis P. Xavier as it first director. Second-hand scrapped machines (non-functional) and materials were bought and accounted as new. And many of the machines were not working and there was hardly any research work done. Through this modus operandi, several crores of rupees granted by the University Grant Commission (UGC) were siphoned off.”
The journalist said, “as a Principal of Loyola college Father Albert Muthumalai had formed an inquiry committee to look into the crime, which found Dr. M. Selvanayagam, a Professor of Zoology at the time, to be guilty, and that Father Francis P. Xavier, the Founder-Director of Loyola Institute of Frontier Energy (LIFE), was desperately trying to save the perpetrators.”
The complaint says “Despite the inquiry committee’s recommendations to prosecute the guilty, the then-Loyola College management duped the Principal into believing that if the findings of the inquiry committee were forwarded to the University Grant Commission (UGC) truthfully, not only would the money have to be returned to the UGC with interest, but he could also end up in jail.”
Abhinav said that the father Albert Muthumalai, was tortured and subjected to undergo pressure was forced into silence. the duo who orchestrated the scam are now in senior positions at Loyola College Chennai, with Dr. M. Selvanayagam being promoted to Head of Research of LICET Loyola I-Cam College of Engineering and Technology and Fr. Francis P. Xavier serving as Rector. Abhinav, who interviewed Rev Fr. Albert Muthumalai, quoted him as saying, “such a great institution meant to educate students, with high ethics and moral values has become a den of unquestionable corruption.” He also quoted Father as saying that there was widespread corruption in the institute’s admissions department, with large sums of money being collected illegally, and that he would never accept the position of principal of Loyola College if given another chance.
Abhinav in his letter said he came across a memoire written by titled Irai Sirugagal, Kanintha Siluvaigal in Tamil. ( roughly means spiritual feathers, affectionate cross). The journalist claimed in that the former principal of Loyola College, Rev. Father Albert Muthumalai, had previously raised allegations that Loyola College had indulged in corrupt practices with UGC funds. A complaint has been filed with the UGC in this regard. Rev. Fr. Albert Muthumalai, S.J., who served as Principal of Loyola College, for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2010, claimed in his book, which he wrote and published, that the college misappropriated several crores of rupees received as research funds from the University Grant Commission (UGC).
The author says, “The funds received from the University Grant Commission were to be spent for research through LIFE (Loyola Institute of Frontier Energy) an initiative of Loyola College Chennai started in 1995 with Fr. Francis P. Xavier as it first director. Second-hand scrapped machines (non-functional) and materials were bought and accounted as new. And many of the machines were not working and there was hardly any research work done. Through this modus operandi, several crores of rupees granted by the University Grant Commission (UGC) were siphoned off.”.
Abhinav said as a Principal of Loyola college Father Albert Muthumalai had set up an inquiry panel to look into the charges. It found Dr. M. Selvanayagam, a Professor of Zoology at the time, to be guilty, and that Father Francis P. Xavier, the Founder-Director of Loyola Institute of Frontier Energy (LIFE), was desperately trying to save the perpetrators.
The complaint reads, ”Despite the inquiry committee’s recommendations to prosecute the guilty, the then-Loyola College management duped the Principal into believing that if the findings of the inquiry committee were forwarded to the University Grant Commission (UGC) truthfully, not only would the money have to be returned to the UGC with interest, but he could also end up in jail.”.
He claimed that the two individuals who orchestrated the scam are now in senior positions at Loyola College Chennai, with Dr. M. Selvanayagam being promoted to Head of Research of LICET Loyola I-Cam College of Engineering and Technology and Fr. Francis P. Xavier serving as Rector.
Abhinav, who interviewed Rev Fr. Albert Muthumalai, quoted him as saying, “such a great institution meant to educate students, with high ethics and moral values has become a den of unquestionable corruption. There was widespread corruption in the institute’s admissions department, with large sums of money being collected illegally.”
In a newsletter to alumni published by the college in September 2022, Father Thomas Amirtham, the Director of the Loyola Alumni Association, claimed that Loyola College was on the verge of getting university status.
Loyola college had applied to the UGC for university status. The UGC conducted an inspection at Loyola College recently for granting University status. At that time, UGC officials sought details about Loyola College’s land ownership, including the original title deed and parent documents of the campus. However, the college administrators told the authorities that they do not have the ‘parent documents’ of the land on which the college is located.
There have been allegations that the land on which it is functioning, was given on a 99 years lease which comes to end soon. According to unverifiable sources, the land originally belonged to the Hindu temple and was given on lease by the colonial rulers. The non-production of parent documents of the land lend credence to such allegations. Who is the owner of the land which needs answers till that time it is difficult for Loyola college to get UGC’s university status.
