'One and half lakhs for first place, mark to recognise teams'; Corruption allegation against Kerala University Youth Festival

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Corruption allegations have been raised following the suspension of the Kerala University Youth Festival the other day. Audio recordings of middlemen demanding bribes to sabotage the results of the competition have surfaced online. As per the voice clips, the contestants were asked to pay lakhs of rupees to obtain various positions in the competitions. The messages were circulated in groups that comprised students and teachers.

Screenshots which are suspected to have been given to the judges along with the documents to identify the teams have also surfaced. The voices heard in the clips are believed to be that of the middlemen and the contestants. As per the voice clips, contestants were asked to pay Rs 1.50 lakhs for first place, Rs 1 lakh for second place and Rs 50,000 for third place. A screenshot of a WhatsApp message stating that a mark should be placed at the bottom of the foot for the judges to recognize the contestants who provided bribes has also come out.

The Kerala University Vice Chancellor on Monday ordered the suspension of the University Youth Festival following mass complaints and conflicts. All events, including the closing ceremony, were cancelled after it was decided not to hold the competitions until the complaints were resolved.