LUCKNOW, June 21 -- The crime bureau-criminal investigation department (CB-CID) of the Uttar Pradesh Police has filed a chargesheet against the former vice-chancellor (VC) of Bhatkhande Music Institute Deemed University, professor Shruti Sadolikar Katkar, and six more employees in connection with alleged financial embezzlement to the tune of Rs.3.31 crore during her tenure between 2009 and 2020. Confirming the filing of the chargesheet in a special court in Lucknow for cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act earlier this week, CB-CID officials said the court would frame charges against the accused before starting the trial. Katkar's tenure as vice-chancellor was controversial, and governor Anandiben Patel, who is also president of the Bhatkhande Music Institute Deemed University, had terminated her services on December 21, 2020. Before that, she had been placed under suspension for months. Katkar could not be contacted for her comment as her previous number is not operational. According to a senior CB-CID official, the FIR was lodged against Katkar and others for financial embezzlement at Qaiserbagh police station on March 5, 2021. The FIR was filed after the governor ordered the principal secretary, culture, to initiate legal and administrative action against Katkar for alleged financial and administrative irregularities in a report submitted by a three-member inquiry committee to Raj Bhavan. The senior official said the committee was headed by justice Virendra Kumar Dixit, a retired judge of the Allahabad high court. He further said the committee found that in 2018, Katkar had approved a Rs.3.08-crore project for construction of Kala Mandap without following any tender process. Similarly, a private engineering firm was allocated work to the tune of Rs.23 lakh without following the tendering process. Several other firms were paid over Rs.4 crore in two years' time by her. The committee found that an additional Rs.1.8 crore was yet to be paid to several other firms, the official said citing the governor's order. The senior official said that the allegations and findings were corroborated during the CB-CID investigation, following which the chargesheet was filed against Katkar and six other employees, including the then drawing and disbursing officer. It was found in the investigation that Katkar, along with other employees, flouted government rules and regulations, causing financial losses, the official said, adding the chargesheet also names 12 firms accused for their involvement in financial irregularities to the tune of Rs.3.31 crore. Katkar was suspended on July 31, 2020 when it was found that she was residing outside the headquarters without seeking permission from competent authority and had nominated Dr Manoj Kumar Mishra, head of the department, to run the university administration on her behalf. In her order, the governor said despite several opportunities given to the Bhatkhande vice-chancellor to defend herself against 15-point allegations by appearing before the inquiry committee, Katkar neither showed up, nor submitted her representation against the charges. Thereafter, the committee sent her letters, asking her to respond to the allegations. In her reply, VC sent a letter to the committee in September, 2020. The committee, after reviewing her response, found her guilty for at least six of the 15 charges levelled against her, according to the governor's order....