The Ministry of Education has directed the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Rohtak Board to either suspend its director, Dheeraj Sharma, or place him on leave until an ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities is completed.

Sources confirmed that Sharma has also been instructed to stay away from the IIM campus and any institute-rented premises until further notice.

The allegations against him include manipulating financial records to falsely inflate the institute’s financial health, which allegedly allowed him to claim over ₹1 crore per year in variable pay from 2018-19 onwards.

Earlier this month, President Droupadi Murmu ordered a formal inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of public funds at IIM Rohtak during Sharma’s tenure. The investigation will also verify the educational qualifications of Sharma and other staff members recruited under him.

The probe stems from an audit conducted by the Principal Chief Controller of Accounts, Ministry of Education, which uncovered serious financial irregularities and misuse of public funds at the institute.

The Education Ministry has also raised concerns about Sharma’s academic credentials. Despite multiple requests for his degree certificate during his first term as director (2017-2022), IIM Rohtak reportedly failed to provide it until his tenure ended.

The Ministry has instructed the IIM Rohtak Board to appoint another faculty member—one who has no prior involvement in the institute’s financial matters—to take charge during the investigation.

Additionally, the Board has been directed to cancel the renomination of Neeraj Kansal as a Board member, which was included in the agenda for the upcoming 63rd Board meeting on March 17.

The investigation will be conducted by Professor Manoj Tiwari, Director of IIM Mumbai, who has been appointed as the inquiry officer. He has been given three months to complete the probe.

The case marks a significant development in financial accountability and governance at India’s premier management institutes, with the government closely monitoring the situation at IIM Rohtak.