The Madras High Court on Monday (November 30) directed the Tamil Nadu government to furnish all the documents relating to the complaints levelled against Anna University Vice-Chancellor Surappa on Monday.
The panel that constituted of Justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi ordered to furnish all the files in connection with the case. The judges criticised the government for acting hastily in the matter without allowing Vice-Chancellor MK Surappa to answer to the allegations.
A Public Interest Litigation was filed by Manithanigai Kumar, a social worker from Kanyakumari challenging the Tamil Nadu government’s move to initiate a probe against Surappa and seeking the court to quash the G.O. passed by the state government.
The petitioner stated that Surappa had improved the quality of the education by introducing revolutionary and and reformatory steps. The petitioner went on to allege that there was a larger agenda at play and that the claims against him were made because Mr Surappa failed to accommodate the views of politicians. He stated that the Mr. Surappa had invited the state government’s wrath as he didn’t toe their line and also because he refused to promote final year students having 20 arrears that was announced by the government.
The petitioner also stated that the state government could pass the GO to initiate probe only after after a preliminary enquiry of Mr. Surappa which the government failed to do.
Though the Advocate General Vijay Narayan referred to various Supreme Court judgments and pointed out that a PIL, especially one filed by a third party, is not maintainable in a matter relating to disciplinary action against an officer, the judges opined that the same can be decided based on the merits of the case. Narayan was later allowed to furnish copies of the judgement by the apex court.