Pune, Apr 11 (PTI) The Servants of India Society (SIS), the parent body of the prestigious Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, has removed its secretary Milind Deshmukh following his arrest by Pune police.

Deshmukh, who was arrested on April 6 by Deccan Gymkhana police for allegedly diverting Rs 1.42 crore of GIPE funds in 2022 for a land deal in Nagpur, has been remanded in 14-day judicial custody.

“The council of SIS has taken a decision to remove Deshmukh from the post of secretary. I will be in charge of the post held by Deshmukh,” SIS president Damodar Sahoo said on Friday.

Sahoo added that a committee has been formed to look after financial transactions and give suggestions to him from time to time.

Sahoo refuted the allegations levelled by GIPE against him of misusing its funds, adding there was no criminal intent behind the transaction.

The GIPE has been in the eye of the storm over the past few days due to dramatic developments over the post of chancellor as well as the arrest of Deshmukh.

Chancellor and Economic Advisory Council to the PM (EAC-PM) member Sanjeev Sanyal was recently removed from his position by Sahoo, who cited the institute’s “declining academic standards” and its ‘B’ grade in a recent NAAC accreditation exercise.

However, Sanyal was reinstated on April 5.

Servants of India Society was founded by eminent freedom fighter Gopal Krishna Gokhale. PTI SPK BNM