In a relief to Magsaysay-awardee social activist Sandeep Pandey, the Allahabad High Court on Friday issued notice to senior officials of the Banaras Hindu University and IIT-BHU directing them to comply with its earlier order and reinstate him.
The court gave the varsity till July 13 to reinstate Mr. Pandey, who was sacked by the IIT-BHU in January on charges of engaging in activities against the nation’s interests.
“A single-bench of Justice Manoj Mishra directed BHU vice-chancellor G.C. Tripathi and IIT-BHU Director Rajeev Sangal to reinstate Mr. Pandey. If they don’t, they should appear before the court in person to show cause,” Rahul Mishra, the social activist’s advocate, told The Hindu .
The order was passed on a contempt petition filed by Mr. Pandey on Wednesday.
Mr. Pandey, a Gandhian, alleged that in spite of a court directive striking down his termination from IIT-BHU, officials were not letting him rejoin duty.
As Mr. Pandey’s contract expires on July 31, he feared the delay could effectively block his return to the classroom.