Governor, Patna HC on confrontation path

By Our Staff Correspondent

PATNA, JUNE 21. While the Raj Bhavan's frequent confrontation with the State Government is an old story, the latest development vis-a-vis the Patna High Court is the point of attention as of now.

Following a PIL and the submission of a report by the economic offences wing of the CID, the Patna High Court has made the Governor, Mr. V. C. Pandey, who is also the Chancellor of universities in the State, a respondent for not granting sanction to prosecute two former Vice- Chancellors and the present V-C of the Magadh University in connection with a case relating to the illegal issuance of a degree.

The Patna High Court has decided to hear the Governor's case on the issue after the CID pleaded that it had evidence to prosecute the two former V-Cs, Mr. Justice S. C. Mukherjee and Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed, and the incumbent V-C, Mr. B. N. Rawat, and its former Registrar, Mr. L. P. Sharma, but for the fact that Raj Bhawan has turned down its plea in this regard.

The case relates to the awarding of an M.A. degree to Shikha Gupta, wife of an IPS officer, even though she had not taken the examination at all, and on that basis was taken in on the pay roll of the university. It was in connection with this that the High Court ordered a CID enquiry with the directive that other irregularities, too, be looked into.

The Raj Bhawan, however, stresses that it would respond as and when it received the notice of the court. The Governor's Principal Secretary, Mr. Mithilesh Kumar, said that the former had little option but to deny permission for prosecution of the four officials on the basis of the papers presented to him for verification.

He, however, maintained that the Governor would reconsider his decision in case the CID made available fresh documents substantiating its claim of existence of a prima facie case against the aforesaid authorities.

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Section  : Other States
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