Kasaragod: The Hosdurg Subordinate Court has found a security staffing agency guilty of exaggerating the number of security guards deployed at the Central University of Kerala and defrauding the university of nearly Rs 41 lakh in five years from 2010 to 2015.

In its judgment on Monday, Subordinate Judge Biju M C found that Kasaragod-based Mata Security Agency siphoned Rs 4,096,539 from the university and directed it to return the money with interest, said the varsity's counsel Adv K Shreekanth. The total amount including the interest came to Rs 6,444,947, said the advocate. The court also directed the agency to foot the legal cost of the university.

The Central University of Kerala filed a civil suit in the Hosdurg Subordinate Court in 2018 but the agency's proprietor Rajendran Pillai died during the trial. His wife was then made a party to the case, said Adv Shreekanth. "The university produced thousands of documents and deputy registrar Sureshan Kandathil gave statements on behalf of the university," he said.

Adv Shreekanth said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a criminal case in the same matter, accusing some employees of conniving with the agency to defraud the university. The case is pending before the special CBI court in Ernakulam, he said.