Expulsion: Hindi University reverses student’s expulsion but suspends him | Nagpur News

Nagpur: Following a rebuke from the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, the Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vidyapeeth (MGAHV) on Monday withdrew its decision to expel PhD student Niranjan Kumar Prasad. However, the Wardha-based university informed the court that its executive committee, the highest decision-making body, has decided to suspend the petitioner until an inquiry is initiated against him. A division bench comprising Justices Nitin Sambre and Abhay Mantri adjourned the hearing to Tuesday. The MGAHV, through advocate Anand Parchure, filed an affidavit in response to a plea filed by Prasad through advocate Nihalsingh Rathod. The petitioner argued that the Central University did not give him a chance to be heard before canceling his admission, which was against the principle of natural justice. MGAHV registrar Dharmesh Katheria attended the hearing after the high court passed a contempt notice against him for failing to comply with its orders. Despite the HC’s stay following Prasad’s expulsion on February 16, the university authorities denied him entry into the campus. He then filed a contempt petition against the university administration. Prasad and several other students were expelled for taking part in protests against the appointment of the university’s incumbent vice-chancellor Bhimraya Metri, who is Nagpur IIM director, alleging that this was the claim of most senior professor at the university it has been ignored. However, Anand Parchure, counsel for MGAHV, argued that Prasad and others had committed “anti-national” activities by showing black flags not only to the incumbent VC but also to those present during the Republic Day function at the premises on December 26. January. The protesters also carried banners opposing the appointment of the incumbent VC. Parchure informed that the decision to expel such students was taken by the executive body of the university to prevent such indiscipline in the future. The registrar informed the judges that the MGAHV administration has appointed senior teacher Prof KK Singh as the new acting VC and all decisions regarding expulsion or suspension of students would be decided by him. The post of VC fell vacant after incumbent Rajneesh Shukla resigned on August 14, 2023. In the last hearing on April 30, the HC reprimanded the registrar for denying entry to a student despite specific court orders and warned him against initiating contempt proceedings. The judges pointed out that Katheriya, in his capacity as MGAHV registrar, willfully disregarded the court orders issued on February 16 by denying the plaintiff access to the campus and continuation of his studies. In a related case, the HC had set aside the order issued by the President of India appointing Metri as MGAHV VC on March 28. He was appointed by the President in her capacity as a visitor to the University.