Kochi, Aug 4 The Kerala High Court on Monday orally questioned the authority of Kerala State University's Vice Chancellor Dr Mohanan Kunnummal to continue the suspension of Registrar Dr. K.S. Anilkumar, despite revocation of the same by the University Syndicate.
The court was looking into a petition filed by Anilkumar seeking to quash several orders issued by the VC under Section 10(13) of the Kerala University Act, that prevented him from rejoining duty.
Anilkumar was suspended last month by the VC for his action of cancelling a private programme to be inaugurated by Governor Rajendra V. Arlekar, who is also the chancellor of Universities in the state.
The event was held at the Senate Hall of the Kerala University located inside the campus, and at the last minute, following a protest by the student and youth wings of the CPI-M, Anilkumar informed the Governor that the programme was cancelled.
The protest broke out when the protesters objected to a Bharat Mata portrait with a saffron flag kept on the dais of the venue.
On Monday, the court orally questioned the authority of the VC in keeping the Registrar under suspension.
"Which is the power you exercised for keeping him under suspension?" it asked.
To this, the counsel appearing for the VC submitted that he had acted in exercise of powers granted under the statute, citing Section 10(13) of the Kerala University Act.
The provision stipulates that if an emergency has arisen, the Vice Chancellor can exercise any power vested in the Syndicate or Academic Council and, in the next session, report the action taken to the authority concerned.
At the next syndicate meeting held on July 6, the suspension was reported to the Syndicate.
The VC's counsel further urged that the matter should be heard in length since the interim relief sought for revocation of suspension tantamount to granting final relief itself.
Later, the Court orally remarked that "that agenda itself was regarding the suspension…it is regarding a counter affidavit to be filed before the Court against the challenge of suspension".
The court then did not pass any interim order but posted the case on August 6 for further hearing.
For a while, there has been a tussle between the successive Governors - first Arif Mohammed Khan and now Arlekar - and the Pinarayi Vijayan government over the daily running of the universities in the state.
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