Kannur University professor gets 6-year RI for fake appointment, fund fraud
Synopsis
Eighteen years after a ghost employee was conjured on paper at Kannur University, the professor who allegedly forged the appointment has been sentenced to six years' rigorous imprisonment — and was still listed as head of the Physics Department at the same campus when the verdict was delivered.
Key Takeaways
Deepak , 54 , professor at Kannur University , was sentenced to six years' rigorous imprisonment on 17 September 2026 .
The court also imposed a fine of ₹80,000 ; Deepak was granted bail after sentencing.
The fraud originated in 2008 when Deepak allegedly forged a qualification certificate to create a fictitious professional assistant appointment in the Physics Department .
University funds were drawn as fictitious salary payments for the non-existent employee.
Ramakrishnan found him guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code .
At the time of verdict, Deepak was still listed as head of the Physics Department at the Swami Anandatheertha Campus , Payyannur.
A Kannur University professor has been sentenced to six years' rigorous imprisonment by the Kannur Vigilance Court for forging documents to fabricate a fake employee appointment and misappropriating university funds as fictitious salary payments — a case that took 18 years to reach its verdict.
The Verdict
Vigilance Judge K. Ramakrishnan on Thursday, 17 September 2026, found Dr N.K. Deepak, 54, a native of Chirakkal in Kannur, guilty under multiple provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code. The court sentenced him to a total of six years' imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹80,000. Deepak was subsequently granted bail after the sentence was pronounced.
How the Fraud Was Carried Out
The case traces its origins to 2008, when the university registrar issued an order to appoint a professional assistant on a daily wage basis in the Physics Department at the Swami Anandatheertha Campus in Payyannur. Deepak, who was then in charge of the department and tasked with overseeing the selection process, allegedly exploited his position to fabricate the entire appointment.
According to the prosecution, Deepak obtained a copy of the qualification certificate belonging to a friend of another professional assistant already working at the campus. He then allegedly added a fictitious address and prepared a forged qualification certificate to simulate a legitimate candidate. The falsified documents were used to convince university authorities that the professional assistant had been duly appointed.
University funds were subsequently drawn against this ghost employee, with salary payments recorded in the name of the non-existent appointee — effectively converting public funds to personal benefit.
Investigation and Charges
The Vigilance Kannur Unit registered a case against Deepak following a probe into the irregularities. After completing its investigation, the unit filed a charge sheet before the Vigilance Court, setting in motion a trial that has concluded nearly two decades after the original offence. The charges spanned forgery, use of forged documents, and corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Who Deepak Is
Notably, at the time of the verdict, Dr N.K. Deepak is listed by Kannur University as a professor and head of the Physics Department at the Swami Anandatheertha Campus — the same institution where the fraud was allegedly perpetrated. This detail underscores the prolonged timeline of the legal process and raises questions about institutional oversight during the intervening years.
What Happens Next
Having been granted bail post-sentencing, Deepak's legal options — including an appeal before a higher court — remain open. The university has not yet made a public statement on his employment status in light of the conviction. The case is likely to prompt fresh scrutiny of appointment and payroll oversight mechanisms at state universities in Kerala.
Point of View
Right up to the day of judgment. That an 18-year case could run its course while the accused continued in a senior academic position points to a structural failure in how universities respond to pending corruption proceedings. Kerala's vigilance machinery secured a conviction, but the university's own accountability framework appears to have functioned as if the case did not exist. The verdict should prompt the state's higher education regulator to institute clearer protocols for suspension or reassignment when a serving faculty member faces corruption charges of this nature.
NationPress
18 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Dr N.K. Deepak do to get convicted?
Dr N.K. Deepak was convicted for forging a qualification certificate to create a fictitious professional assistant appointment in the Physics Department at Kannur University's Swami Anandatheertha Campus in 2008, then drawing university funds as salary for the non-existent employee. The Kannur Vigilance Court found him guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code.
What is the sentence handed to Dr N.K. Deepak?
The Kannur Vigilance Court sentenced Dr N.K. Deepak to six years' rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹80,000 on 17 September 2026. The court granted him bail immediately after pronouncing the sentence.
Why did the case take 18 years to reach a verdict?
The alleged fraud occurred in 2008, when Deepak purportedly created a ghost employee in the Physics Department. The Vigilance Kannur Unit investigated the matter, filed a charge sheet, and the trial proceeded through the court system before Vigilance Judge K. Ramakrishnan delivered the verdict in September 2026.
Was Dr Deepak still working at Kannur University when convicted?
Yes. At the time of the verdict, Dr N.K. Deepak was listed by Kannur University as a professor and head of the Physics Department at the Swami Anandatheertha Campus in Payyannur — the same department where the fraud was allegedly committed.
What happens to Dr Deepak's university position after conviction?
The university had not issued a public statement on his employment status at the time of the verdict. Having been granted bail, Deepak retains the right to appeal before a higher court, which could affect proceedings related to his academic position.
