Allahabad High Court
Committee Of Management Of M M H College ... vs State Of Up And 5 Others on 20 January, 2025
Author: Saurabh Shyam Shamshery
Bench: Saurabh Shyam Shamshery
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC:8583
Judgment Reserved on 9.1.2025
Delivered on 20.1.2025
Court No. - 10
Case :- WRIT - A No. - 18889 of 2024
Petitioner :- Committee Of Management Of M M H College And Another
Respondent :- State Of Up And 5 Others
Counsel for Petitioner :- Sankalp Narain,Srivats Narain
Counsel for Respondent :- Aalok Singh,Avneesh Tripathi,Bheem Singh,C.S.C.
With
Case :- WRIT - A No. - 16772 of 2024
Petitioner :- Dr Piyush Chauhan
Respondent :- State Of U.P. And 5 Others
Counsel for Petitioner :- Aalok Singh,Bheem Singh,Sr. Advocate
Counsel for Respondent :- Aalok Kumar Srivastava,Avneesh Tripathi,C.S.C.,Samarath Singh,Sankalp Narain
Hon'ble Saurabh Shyam Shamshery,J.
1. Heard Mr.V.K. Singh, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Mr. Rishabh Narain Singh, learned counsel for petitioners, Mr. Ashok Khare, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Mr. Bheem Singh, learned counsel for respondent no.6 and Mr. Avneesh Tripathi, learned counsel for respondent nos.2 and 3 and in connected case Mr. Ashok Khare, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Mr. Bheem Singh, learned counsel for petitioner, Mr. V.K. Singh, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Mr. Rishabh Narain Singh learned counsel for respondent no.6 and Mr. Avneesh Tripathi, learned counsel for respondent nos. 2 and 3.
2. This is the second round of litigation.
3. The Committee of Management of M.M.H. College in Writ Petition No.16772 of 2024 has approached this Court earlier by way of filing a Writ Petition No.15786 of 2024 which was disposed of vide order dated 3.10.2024.
4. In the said writ petition, issue for consideration was to grant approval to the suspension order of 5th respondent therein, sixth respondent herein/petitioner in connected Writ Petition No.16772 of 2024 (Dr. Piyush Chauhan) was disposed of taking note of allegations in regard to financial irregularities with a direction that auditor's objection will be forwarded to the Vice Chancellor of the University, who will take action in regard to the suspension of 5th respondent therein (6th respondent herein). Relevant part of said order is reproduced hereinafter:
"9. On due consideration of the aforesaid, Committee of Management of MMH College, Ghaziabad, is directed to provide the Auditor's objection within 24 hours to the Vice-Chancellor of University upon which the Vice-Chancellor will take the decision herself in regard to suspension of 5th respondent dated 14.08.2024, considering the Auditor's objections and allegations levelled against him. The entire exercise shall be completed by the Vice-Chancellor, after providing opportunity of hearing to both Committee of Management and 5th respondent, within a period of ten days from today."
5. In aforesaid circumstances, issue of suspension of said respondent was decided by the Vice Chancellor, Chaudhary Charan Singh, University, Meerut i.e. respondent no.2 vide order dated 19.11.2024, whereby suspension order dated 14.8.2024 of the said respondent was set-aside with following conditions:
"01. यह कि प्रबन्ध समिति द्वारा संस्थित जाँच यथाशीघ्र निर्णायक रूप से समाप्त की जाए. जिसमे प्रो० पीयूष चौहान पूर्ण व वास्तविक रूप से सहयोग करेंगे।
02. यह कि प्रो० पीयूष चौहान उनके विरुद्ध लगाए गये आरोपों से सम्बन्धित किसी भी प्रपत्र को न तो अपने समक्ष प्रस्तुत करने के आदेश देगें तथा न ही उक्त प्रपत्रों में किसी भी प्रकार की छेडछाड, प्रत्यक्ष अथवा अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से करेंगे।
03. महाविद्यालय की प्रबन्ध समिति प्रो० पीयूष चौहान के प्राचार्य के रूप में कार्यरत होते हुए दैनन्दिन कार्यों के निष्पादन में अवरोध उत्पन्न नहीं करेगी।
04. प्रो० पीयूष चौहान अपने विरूद्ध किसी गवाह को प्रभावित करने का प्रयास नहीं करेंगे।"
6. Aforesaid order dated 19.11.2024 is impugned in the writ petition filed at the behest of Committee of Management of the concerned College vide Writ Petition No.18889 of 2024.
7. Sri V.K.Singh, learned Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners referred following part of the impugned order which is reproduced below to state that without seeking any information about status of inquiry against the said respondent, without considering the auditors objection and its serious impact has wrongly set-aside the suspension order referred above. The conditions could not be effected since delinquent will have an opportunity to influence the inquiry:
"09. यह कि प्रो० पीयूष चौहान से चार्ज सीट का उत्तर प्राप्त होने के पश्चात प्रबन्ध समिति द्वारा जाँच समिति गठित की जा चुकी है। जिसके द्वारा इन आरोपों की नियमानुसार गहन जाँच की जा रही है।
अधोहस्ताक्षरकर्ता द्वारा उभय पक्षों को सुना गया तथा पत्रावली पर प्रस्तुत किये गये अभिलेखों का परीशीलन व गहन अध्ययन किया गया। महाविद्यालय प्रबन्ध तन्त्र के द्वारा प्रस्तुत पत्र दिनांक 11.09.2024 के संलग्नक 08 के परीशीलन से स्पष्ट है कि आरोप संख्या 02. 04. 05, 06, 07, 09, 10, 12 वित्तीय अनियमितताओं को आरोपित करने के सम्बन्ध में आरोप है। इसी प्रकार महाविद्यालय प्रबन्ध तन्त्र के द्वारा प्रस्तुत पत्र दिनांक 20.09,2024 के परीशीलन से यह भी स्पष्ट है कि प्रो० पीयूष चौहान को एक अतिरिक्त आरोप पत्र भी प्रेषित किया गया। उक्त अतिरिक्त आरोप पत्र की प्रति के परीशीलन से स्पष्ट है कि आरोप संख्या 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11 वित्तीय अनियमिता को आरोप करने वाले आरोप है।
प्रबन्ध तन्त्र द्वारा सुनवाई के दौरान यह कथन किया गया कि यदि प्रो० पीयूष चौहान का निलम्बन निरस्त किया जाता है तो यह उनके विरूद्ध लगाए गये आरोपों के सम्बन्ध में अभिलेखों से छेडछाड़ कर सकते है। जिससे जाँच विपरीत रूप से प्रभावित होगी। मा० उच्च न्यायालय के आदेश 03.10.2024 के अनुपालन में आडिट रिपोर्ट दिनांक 23.04.2024 तथा आडिट मैमो-02 दिनांक 24.09.2024 की प्रतियाँ प्रस्तुत की गयी। जिसके अनुसार किन्चित बिन्दुओं पर आडिट आपत्तियाँ लगायी गयी है।
पत्रावली पर प्रस्तुत किये गये अभिलेखों से यह स्पष्ट नहीं होता है कि महाविद्यालय प्रबन्ध तन्त्र द्वारा संस्थित की गयी जाँच किस स्तर पर है। महाविद्यालय प्रबन्ध तन्त्र से यह अपेक्षा थी कि यह जाँच की प्रगति व स्थिति से विश्वविद्यालय को अवगत कराते। निलम्बन आदेश दिनांक 14.08.2024 को पारित किया गया था तथा तीन माह से अधिक समय व्यतीत होने के पश्चात भी प्रकरण पर कोई युक्तियुक्त निर्णय न लिया जाना इस तथ्य का द्योतक है कि प्राचार्य को मात्र कार्य से विरत करने के उद्देश्य से उन्हे निलम्बित रखा गया है। यह भी स्पष्ट है कि जो आरोप प्रो० पीयूष चौहान पर लगाएँ गये है, वह आरोप सिद्ध करने हेतु प्रलेखीय साक्ष्य जाँच समिति के समक्ष प्रस्तुत किये जा सकते है तथा ऐसे प्रलेखीय साक्ष्य, यदि कोई हो तो, का संज्ञान प्रो० पीयूष चौहान के प्राचार्य पद पर कार्य के निष्पादन पर भी किया जा सकता है।"
8. Per contra, learned Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of respondent no.6 referred auditor's report wherein allegations were in regard to non-recurring grant. Auditor's objections were only technical in nature, which can be answered effectively by the said respondent and for that it is not required that said respondent remain under suspension.
9. Learned Senior Counsel further submitted that impugned order provides certain conditions which includes that documents on which there are auditor's objection would not be accessible to the respondent and inquiry can be concluded in accordance with law in a fair manner.
10. Heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the records.
11. In the present case, Dr. Piyush Chauhan, i.e. respondent no.6 in WRIT- A No.-18889 of 2024, was placed under suspension on ground that there were certain financial irregularities pointed out against him during Auditor's objection in regard to non-recurring grant.
12. In the first round of litigation it was directed by this Court that before any order is passed on the suspension of said respondent, Auditor's objections has to be taken note of. However, in the impugned order, observation of this Court as well as Auditor's objections were not even taken note of, as such direction of this Court was not followed.
13. The Respondent no.2 in a very cursory manner has only referred that there are 11 charges against the said respondent about financial irregularities and Committee of Management of the concerned College has failed to communicate about the status of inquiry. However, it is not on record as to whether such status was sought by the Vice Chancellor of the University or not, therefore, Court is of the view that the order passed by this Court was not completely complied with. Status of injury was not sought as well as suspension period of 3 months was not very long keeping nature of allegation i.e. financial irregularities.
14. The argument of learned Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of respondent no.6 that said conditions as put by the Vice Chancellor of the University while not approving the suspension order as referred above are sufficient that inquiry can go on without being influenced by the said respondent while he works on the post of Principal, has no legal face since it is not a case where suspension is extended for unlimited period or it is arbitrary.
15. In the aforesaid circumstances, Court is of considered opinion that inquiry has to be conducted impartially and to remove any apprehension that delinquent may influence the inquiry, said apprehension has to be removed.
16. There is an Auditor's objection regarding financial irregularities committed by the said respondent. Even a small bit of financial irregularity has to be considered seriously, therefore, the conditions put in the order that documents would not be accessible cannot be a sufficient precaution and in order to keep the entire procedure fair, Court is of considered opinion that the respondent no.6 shall remain under suspension at least for a period of 6 weeks from today. Meanwhile, both the parties will co-operate in the inquiry so that it be concluded within the aforesaid period.
17. On the basis of aforesaid order, Writ Petition No.16772 of 2024 is rendered infructuous and disposed of.
18. Writ Petition No.18889 of 2024 is disposed of with aforesaid direction.
Order Date :- 20.1.2025
SB
