NEWS PRISM, DELHI BUREAU
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notices to Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University, the University Grants Commission (UGC), and several others in a case filed by Professor Eqbal Hussain. Hussain has challenged a previous order by a single-judge bench that quashed his appointment as the officiating Vice-Chancellor of the university. In a separate plea, Hussain sought to quash the newly appointment of Prof Mohammad Shakeel as the officiating VC.
A division bench comprising Justices Vibhu Bakhru and Tara Vitasta Ganju rejected Hussain’s request for interim directions regarding decisions taken by the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor. The bench stated, “We are not going to infringe the entire working of a person who is already in office.”
The court said it would issue notices in the matter and consider the case in August.
On May 22, a single-judge bench led by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela had held that Professor Hussain’s appointment as pro-Vice-Chancellor and then officiating Vice-Chancellor was contrary to law. The court had directed the Visitor of the University, who is the President of India, to immediately appoint an eligible person as the officiating Vice-Chancellor within a week.
Following the order, JMI appointed Prof. Shakeel as the officiating Vice-Chancellor. Hussain has filed a separate petition challenging Shakeel’s appointment, arguing that it violates the court’s order, which explicitly asked the Visitor to appoint an officiating VC.
The case stems from petitions filed seeking a declaration that Hussain’s appointment was in violation of the Jamia Millia Islamia Act. The Delhi High Court has now sought JMI’s response in the matter and listed it for further hearing on August 12.
Hussain in his plea argued that Prof. Shakeel’s appointment is in violation of the court’s order, in which it had asked the Visitor of Jamia (President of India) to appoint an officiating VC.
During the court proceedings on Tuesday, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma and advocate Pritish Sabharwal, representing JMI, informed the Court that the nominees appointed by the Visitor took part in the meeting where the decision to appoint Prof. Shakeel, the senior-most professor, as the officiating Vice-Chancellor was made. They further stated that the matter of appointing the officiating Vice-Chancellor is currently under consideration by the Visitor.