KOCHI: Piling more misery on the LDF Government, which is reeling under nepotism row, the Kerala High Court on Thursday quashed the appointment of P M Sahala, wife of Thalassery MLA A N Shamseer, as assistant professor in science on contract basis in the School of Pedagogical Sciences at Kannur University. The court also directed the varsity to appoint first-rank holder M P Bindu, who had filed the petition before the court challenging the recruitment.
Citing an apex court order, the HC observed it was a single-cadre post, hence there cannot be any reservation.
The petitioner submitted the walk-in interview for the post of assistant professor in science in the school on contract basis was held on June 14, 2019. Though the rank list was not published, she learned she had got the first rank ahead of second-placed Sahala. To the petitioner’s dismay, Sahala was appointed. Bindu said for contractual appointments, the university did not follow reservation norms.
The petitioner alleged in order to give appointment to the ruling party sitting MLA A N Shamseer ‘s wife, the university was claiming to follow rules of reservation even though the appointment is a contractual one.
She pointed out the university made an appointment from the open category for contract appointment in the language education conducted in March. Later the university also appointed candidates from the OBC category in the assistant professor in mathematics. Therefore, it should have appointed a candidate from the open category for the appointment of assistant professor in science if the university is following the reservation rules. She said that the appointment of Sahala is absolutely illegal.
According to the university, the last appointment was made from a general category. Therefore, the latest appointment had to be made from the reservation category. It argued as there were no candidates from the OBC or SC community, the seat went to a candidate from the Muslim community.