CHENNAI: The Madras high court has set aside the removal of P Vijayan from the post of director of Indian Maritime University (IMU) and has quashed another order imposing ₹22.7 lakh as penalty on him for unauthorised deployment of services of menial staff and alleged misuse of official vehicles thereby causing loss to the university.
Justice C Saravanan passed the order while allowing two petitions moved by Vijayan challenging the actions of the executive council of the institution dated April 20 and 26, 2018.
the court held that the actions of the council are not valid as the petitioner is not an employee of the university within the meaning of Section 2(m) of the Indian Maritime Act.
The petitioner was formerly employed with the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE). He was thereafter appointed as the director of the National Maritime Academy (NMA) on May 28, 2008.
Subsequently, NAM merged with IMU and Vijayan was appointed as the first vice chancellor of IMU.
At the expiry of 3 years tenure as the vice chancellor he was posted as the director of IMU.
As a former vice chancellor of IMU, the petitioner continued to avail himself of the same perks and facilities that were given to him as VC even after he was appointed as its director. This led to issuance of charge memos/ initiation of disciplinary proceedings which has ultimately led to filing of the present writ petitions.
