Suspension ‘revoked', Kerala University registrar withdraws plea before high court
When the matter came up before the bench of Justice D K Singh on Monday, the senior counsel appearing for Anil Kumar sought permission to withdraw the petition, stating that the university syndicate had revoked the suspension and reinstated him to his post. Though the senior counsel for VC defended the syndicate's decision to reinstate Anil Kumar, HC noted that if the VC wished to challenge that decision, it must be done through appropriate legal means.
The bench accordingly allowed the withdrawal and dismissed the petition as withdrawn.
Anil Kumar was suspended by VC Mohanan Kunnummal on July 2 for allegedly insulting the governor, who is also the university chancellor, during a seminar conducted by the Sree Padmanabha Seva Samiti on June 25 at the university's Senate Hall in Thiruvananthapuram. The event, marking the 50th anniversary of Emergency, had the governor as its chief guest.
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Just before the event began, the registrar cancelled the earlier permission for use of the venue, citing violations of university guidelines after the organisers displayed a picture of Bharat Mata on stage.
This led to his suspension.
In his petition, Anil Kumar submitted that student groups affiliated with various political factions had engaged in a heated exchange and that the display of the picture posed a real risk of violence.
He claimed that although he requested the organisers to remove the picture, they refused, and as the situation escalated — with students allegedly pushing and assaulting each other — he felt compelled to revoke permission for the event.
At the previous hearing on Friday, HC had directed both the university and VC to file their statements, observing that the two appeared to be speaking in different voices. On Monday, however, the petitioner informed HC of the syndicate's decision and sought leave to withdraw the petition.
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