Criminal contempt case taken up for defaming High Court appointee MU Administrator Jarnail Singh
Source: IT News
Imphal, July 09 2020:
A division bench of Manipur High Court has taken up a criminal contempt case against one Yumanm Kanta Roy, for attempting to defame the court appointee Administrator of Manipur Jarnail Singh by violating the ruling of the Manipur High Court.
Yumkham Kanta Roy, aged about 53 and a resident of Lairik Yengbam Makha Leikai of Imphal East has challenged the legitimacy to the appointment of various faculties and non-teaching employees by the Administrator Jarnail Singh and filed a petition to the Manipur High Court to cancel all the appointed employees in the Manipur University during his tenure.
When the Manipur University was in a state of chaos following the uprising against the then Vice-Chancellor Prof Adya Prasad Pandey, one Chongtham Nimai Singh filed a Public Interest Litigation to the Manipur High Court in 2018 and following the petition a double bench of the Manipur Manipur High Court in an interim order dated October 11, 2018, appointed Former Chief Secretary of Manipur, Jarnail Singh, who is par excellence in the administrative affairs of Manipur, as the administrator of the Manipur University.
While appointing Jarnail Singh as the Administrator the High Court order categorically stated that the Administrator appointed to bring normalcy at the Manipur University is fully empowered to discharge the functions of the Vice-Chancellor as provided under the Manipur University Act 2005 and such order relevant statues, whose primary duty and responsibility is to bring normalcy in the state.
Some eminent legal experts while talking to Imphal Times interpreted the term 'Normalcy' as maintenance and functioning of the Manipur University by even appointing whatsoever required restoring for the full functioning of the university.
In an order by the division bench of Justice Kh Nobin Singh and Justice A.Bimol Singh dated July 7, 2020, it is stated that - "Any person, whether he is a party in this petition or not, if obstructs the smooth functioning of the 'Administrator, will be deemed to interfere or obstruct the administration of justice, as the Administrator has been appointed by this Court to act on behalf of the Court with the specific task of bringing normalcy to the University, Accordingly, any such person who may interfere or cause obstruction to the functioning of the Administrator may be liable to be proceeded and punished accordingly under the Contempt of Court Act, 1971 and /or under Article 215 of the Constitution of India, for which the Administrator will move this court.
Any party in the proceeding will be also at liberty to bring to the notice of this court any such contumacious activity for necessary action by the Court.
Earlier, court ruling at the time of appointment of Jarnail Singh as the Administrator on interim basis also stated that he is fully authorized to choose and appoint any competent person as in-charge Registrar of the University and he will be at liberty to appoint any other person(s) to aid, assist and advise him in the discharge of functions of the Vice-Chancellor.
Thus, all staff including faculty members appointed by the Administrator at the capacity of the Vice-Chancellor is legitimate and there is no question of quashing it as long as discrepancy or anomalies to the conduct of the recruitment has been found.
Meanwhile, assuming the situation of the Manipur University restoring to normalcy, The Ministry of Human Resource and Development had advertised to appoint the post of the Vice-Chancellor.
Till June 20, the last date for submission of the form for the post, over 120 applications have been received, a source said.
Comment
