CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has refused to confirm an order of TANUVAS to suspend a professor on the ground of registration of an FIR against him based on a complaint lodged by his estranged daughter-in-law.
Dismissing an appeal filed by TANUVAS challenging the October 21, 2024, orders of a single judge who quashed the 2023 order of the varsity placing M Thirunavukkarasu under suspension, a division bench of the Madras High Court said regulations of the university provide for suspending the professor only on the grounds of public interest and not private domestic issues.
“The single judge has taken note of the fact that the regulations of the university provide for suspension only on the ground of public interest. We are unable to understand what is the public interest that would be involved in keeping the professor under suspension,” the bench of justices R Subramanian and G Arul Murugan questioned.
The bench ordered the university to disburse the retirement benefits of Thirunavukkarasu within 12 weeks.
Thirunavukkarasu was placed under suspension in 2023 by the university following registration of the FIR based on the complaints of his estranged daughter-in-law. He moved a petition in the high court against the suspension order. The single judge quashed the suspension order. Following this, he was allowed to retire but benefits were withheld by the university.