R. Radhakrishnan, Vice-Chancellor of Anna University, Coimbatore, has been suspended by the Tamil Nadu government. The government on Monday conveyed this information to the Madras High Court before which a petition against the Vice-Chancellor is pending.
Following this, the court said it was disposing of a petition seeking a direction to the authorities to take action against the Vice-Chancellor.
The petitioner, S. Sivapandi of R.A. Puram here, had also sought a direction to the police to investigate a complaint against the Vice-Chancellor. The petitioner submitted that after assuming office he had "started misusing the power for personal ends."
When the matter came up before the First Bench comprising Chief Justice H.L. Gokhale and Justice D. Murugesan, Advocate-General P.S. Raman said the government had issued an order on Monday directing the suspension during the pendency of the investigation. A case had been registered.
The Bench said that in its view no further step was required to be taken on the matter. The State government had acted effectively in looking into the allegations. The court made it clear that it was not making any observations on the merits of the allegations made against Dr. Radhakrishnan in the petition.
In its order of suspension, the government said a petition had been referred to it by the Director of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) regarding allegations against the Vice-Chancellor, and seeking concurrence to conduct a detailed enquiry. After careful examination, the DVAC was permitted to register a regular case against Dr. Radhakrishnan.
The DVAC had registered a case in Coimbatore detachment under Sections 7, 13(2) read with 13(1) (a), 13(1)(d) and 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Orders were issued in August permitting the DVAC to array more allegations against him in the case already registered.
A writ petition was filed before the High Court praying for a direction to take appropriate action against him. In the circumstances of the case in which "grave allegations" were under investigation by the DVAC, it was necessary in the public interest to place him under suspension.
