SUNY professor took bribes in seedy cash-to-pass scheme and may soon be studying the inside of a jail cell: police

Maybe he needs to learn a lesson.

A former professor at upstate SUNY Canton allegedly took money under the table to dole out higher grades to some of his students, state police said this week.

Rajiv Narula, 45, a former longtime chemistry professor on the St. Lawrence County campus, was hit with eight felony counts of third-degree bribery on Tuesday, nearly two years after the allegations surfaced, state troopers said in a press release.

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Narula was arraigned by Canton Town Justice Michael Morgan and released without bail pending a return court appearance on April 28, according to the release.

A spokesperson for the state-run university said Narula taught chemistry as an associate professor in the School of Science, Health and Criminal Justice from 2011 until he was fired in May 2023.

The rep declined to comment on the bribery case “because this is an ongoing investigation.”

Investigators said the alleged cash-to-pass scheme took place during the 2021 fall and summer semesters and again during the 2022 spring semester, according to WWNY-TV News.

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School administrators turned the case over to the New York State Inspector General’s Office, which turned the case over to police after concluding an investigation.

Narula could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.