New Delhi, Jul 9 (IANS): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday said that it carried out searches at 14 residential and official premises of HNB Garhwal University's former Vice Chancellor J.L. Kaul, his OSD, and others in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh in connection with a case it registered to probe alleged irregularities in grant of affiliation to various colleges or institutes during his tenure.

A CBI spokesperson said that the agency carried out searches at the residential and official premises linked to Kaul, his OSD, and others in Srinagar and Dehradun in Uttarakhand and Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

The official said that the agency has also got the details of three lockers in different banks.

During the searches, several incriminating documents pertaining to the case have been recovered.

The CBI had earlier registered a preliminary enquiry against Kaul, then VC of Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, Srinagar, Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand and others on the allegation that he, during his tenure from 2014 till 2016, committed certain irregularities in grant of affiliation to various colleges or institutes.

It was also alleged that Kaul, along with his OSD and other unknown officials of the university, encouraged extension of affiliation to different private institutes or colleges, in contravention of the guidelines and regulations for continuation and or extension of existing affiliation of colleges.

The official said that after the completion of the PE, the CBI registered six regular cases against Kaul, his OSD, other public servants, private persons, and six private institutions.