Ahmedabad: An associate professor from Gujarat University, Kamaljeet Lakhtaria, accused of embezzling Rs 4.09 crore from the animation department, was arrested by the city crime branch on Saturday. He was later presented in court and remanded to police custody until Wednesday.

Lakhtaria was booked by the city crime branch for misappropriating funds after becoming the coordinator of GU’s animation department. According to the complaint, Lakhtaria, with the approval of the university registrar and vice-chancellor, opened seven accounts at Kotak Mahindra Bank’s Kalol branch to manage course finances.

As per the MoUs, 30% of the revenue from student fees was to be given to GU, while the animation department was to retain 70%. It was Lakhtaria’s responsibility to ensure the university’s share was paid on time. However, in 2023, financial discrepancies were uncovered, and an investigation led by a retired district judge revealed that Lakhtaria had failed to remit Rs 4.09 crore owed to the university. DeshGujarat