Subhash Jindal/Chandigarh
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the suspension of Dr. Bhagat Singh Rathee, Senior-most Professor and Head of the Department of Physical Education, Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak, along with the fact-finding report and the Executive Council resolution forming the basis of the action.
The order passed by Justice Harpreet Singh Brar on September 30 in the writ petition filed by the Prof represented by Sardavinder Goyal Advocate with other counsels.
The petitioner was suspended by Executive Council on the allegations of imposition of fine on students and serious irregularities etc.
It was submitted that the decision of imposition of fine was taken by the MD Physical education Society, which was constituted by Departmental Committee of University. The fine collected from by the education society and was deposited with the university, there is no question of financial embezzlement.
Fact finding committee was constituted on the motivated allegations because one of the complainant is the teacher of University who was demoted as Associate Professor because of his PhD degree was found to invalid on the complaint of Dr. Rathee.
It was argued that a retired employee had been appointed to conduct a fact-finding inquiry even before issuance of charge-sheet which is against instructions. Petitioner was not supplied the complaint or the material relied upon by the Inquiry Officer. Despite the petitioner seeking the relevant documents, the inquiry was allegedly concluded and the report submitted without providing the material. The students of Physical education submitted representation to the Committee that no complaint has been lodged by student of Department.
Another contention was raised that the inquiry report was placed before the Executive Council without being part of the agenda circulated within the prescribed period, the report was introduced through a supplementary agenda circulated only two days before the meeting, instead of the required ten-day period. It was also submitted that some members of the Executive Council had also recorded their dissent.
Despite the initiative undertaken to promote academic continuity, the petitioner was suspended by the Executive council.
The Court, while issuing notice of motion for May 19, 2027, directed that the impugned resolution dated July 9, 2026, suspension order dated July 10, 2026, and the fact-finding report shall remain stayed during the pendency of the writ petition
Haryana
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