KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday set aside a state notification replacing Saikat Maitra as Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (MAKAUT) vice-chancellor and appointing West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE) chairman Malayendu Saha in his place.
The higher education department had issued the notification on July 29. Following this, Maitra had moved the HC. The state may move the division bench against the order.
Earlier during the hearing, advocate general S N Mookherjee submitted to the court that there was no personal allegation against Maitra or any complaint against his performance. The state counsel submitted that there was a technical error in the reappointment procedure. The government had re-appointed Maitra on February 26, 2021, for four years invoking Section 30 of the MAKAUT Act, 2000, when the Act provided that no order could be made under the section two years after the Act came into force in 2000.
Justice Kaushik Chanda held that the state had made its intention clear when it sent three names in order of preference for the Makaut VC post to the chancellor and Maitra topped the list and observed that it had the power to make right any difficulties.
"It was insulting for a VC to get to know via mail that he is removed from his post. I moved the court and the court has given order asking me to continue," Maitra said.
On Thursday, MAKAUT functioned with two vice-chancellors for four hours. While Maitra entered the university's Haringhata campus at 1.22pm following the court order, Saha was already in the VC's chamber. Maitra did not enter the chamber and instructed the staff bring the files to him in the lounge where he signed them and passed instructions. "I have resumed office," Maitra said on Thursday.
Saha exited the VC's chamber around 5pm and met Matira in the lounge. They spoke and embraced each other. Saha released the VC's official car and left the campus in another university car.
