THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor Arif Mohammed Khan will pass the High Court notice served on him regarding the appeal in Kannur University vice-chancellor appointment row to the state government. The notice on the appeal in the division bench headed by Chief Justice S Manikumar was served on the Raj Bhavan on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters here on the sidelines of an event, Khan said he hasn’t been the chancellor of universities since December 8. He was referring to the letter he had sent to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, urging him to bring in an ordinance to remove the governor as chancellor of universities and assign the role to the chief minister.
“Regarding files of university affairs, I have instructed my office to pass all those to the government. This notice will also be treated like that,” Khan replied to queries by journalists. The notice to the chancellor was issued by the High Court on December 17 and the case would be considered next month.
The notice was issued on an appeal filed by Kannur University senate member Premachandran Keezhoth and academic council member Shino P Jose, challenging an earlier order of the High Court single bench which upheld the reappointment of Dr Gopinath Ravindran as the vice-chancellor by Arif Mohammed Khan as the chancellor of universities.
Governor’s claim will not stand legal scrutiny, say experts
According to legal experts, the stand of the governor that he is not the chancellor and hence wouldn’t be responsible to answer to the court won’t stand legal scrutiny. “The only question is who the chancellor who had approved the appointment and signed the order. Even if the chancellor relinquishes the post later, the onus of the decision taken during his tenure is on him.
So, the governor will have to reply to the HC notice,” said a senior official on condition of anonymity. The governor’s decision to relinquish the post followed pressure exerted by the government to reappoint Gopinath Ravindran as Kannur University VC. Higher Education Minister R Bindu, who is the prochancellor, wrote a letter recommending Gopinath. The governor who signed the order later told the media that he did that under duress, and he was relinquishing the chancellor’s post as he couldn’t continue like this.