Pressure mounts on V-C

Employees joint action committee demands removal of Anisa Basheer Khan from the post

Caught in storm: Demand for the removal of the Vice-Chancellor in-charge of Pondicherry University is unlikely to die down given the recent turn of developments.

Pondicherry Central University is once again mired in controversy with the clamour for removal of Vice-Chancellor in-charge Anisa Basheer Khan growing louder in the wake of the Kalapet police booking a case against her for alleged forgery and fraud.

In a letter to the Registrar on Thursday, Pondicherry University Employees Joint Action Committee (PUEJAC) has urged for immediate removal of Ms. Khan from the post of Vice-Chancellor in-charge and to dismiss her from service.

The Kalapet police on Tuesday registered a case against the Vice-Chancellor (in charge). Along with her, Professor of Economics M. Ramachandran, data entry operator Veerappan and private secretary to Vice-Chancellor Rajkumar have been booked on charges of criminal conspiracy, fraud and forgery. A case under section 120 (B), 201, 381, 420 - cheating, 468 - forgery, 471 IPC R/W 34 IPC has been registered on October 24.

K. Mahesh, Assistant Registrar, Public Relations, Pondicherry University, in a press release on Friday evening said that M.S. Ramesh, Judge, Madras High Court, has stayed the FIR. The complainant, A. Balasubramanian, a former deputy registrar, said the accused had got a temporarily stay on the FIR and the hearing in the case was posted to November 11. It was unlikely that the protest demanding the removal of the Vice-Chancellor in-charge would die down given the recent turn of developments.

Protest to be intensified

The PU-EJAC is planning to intensify the protest till Ms. Khan was removed from service. “We have issued several representations seeking action against the forgery and would continue our protest till our demands are met,” said a staff of Pondicherry University.

He alleged that Ms. Khan had forged documents in appointing Mr. Ramachandran to hold additional charge of Registrar (in charge) in 2016. “As per the MHRD letter of February 11, 2016, the Vice-Chancellor (in- charge) Ms. Khan was relieved from the post on February 27, 2016, as her deanship period expired. However, she fabricated a document and ante-dated it as February 26, 2016, relieving J. Sampath as Registrar (i/c) and appointing M. Ramachandran to that post from February 26, 2016 to overcome her relieving by Dr. Sampath,” he alleged.

He added that Mr.Ramachandran colluded with Ms. Khan and had been holding office from March 4, 2016.