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The Times of India
The Times of India
National
Mahir Haneef | TNN

'Nepotism': CPM leader's wife's 'appointment' stayed by Kerala HC

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Monday stayed the appointment of Priya Varghese, wife of CM’s private secretary and CPM leader KK Ragesh, as associate professor at Kannur University.

Justice Devan Ramachandran ordered to put the appointments based on the existing rank list on hold after considering a petition (WP-C No. 26918/2022) filed by Joseph Skariah through senior advocate George Poonthottam.

The petitioner, a Malayalam professor at SB College in Changanassery who secured the second rank in the selection list, had challenged Priya’s appointment to the Malayalam department. He had contended that the appointment violates the university statute and the regulations of the UGC.

In the order, the court said, “Since the petitioner asserts that the 5th respondent (Priya) is not eligible to be appointed as an Associate Professor as per the Statutes of the Kannur University and the applicable Regulations of the University Grants Commission (UGC), I deem it appropriate to order that, until the next posting date, no appointments to be made from Ext.P4 Rank List – particularly because it is shown only as a ‘provisional’ one. It is so ordered.”

After hearing the arguments of the petitioner’s counsel, the court said the matter requires to be admitted and admitted the petition into its files. The court directed for issuing notice to Priya Varghese and directed the standing counsels for the chancellor, vice chancellor, and the state government to obtain instructions in the matter. The court also asked S Krishnamoorthy, the standing counsel for the UGC, to obtain instructions regarding the petitioner’s contentions after noticing the allegation that the appointment is against UGC regulations.

Further, the court recorded the submission of the university’s counsel that no appointments have been made from the rank list as some proceedings on it are pending before the chancellor. The court will hear the case again on August 31st.

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