SC to decide fate of 15 Magadh University principals today

GAYA: An apex court bench comprising Justice SA Bobde and Justice L Nageshwar Rao will decide the fate of 15 principals of the undivided Magadh University on Tuesday.
According to sources, “Three of the 15 appointments were made against non-existent posts in anticipation of future vacancies. The appointments were quashed by Justice AK Tripathi of Patna high court in December 2015.While quashing the appointments, Justice Tripathi observed that the constitution of the selection committee was per se illegal, manipulated and prepared with the object of selecting people whose names were pre-determined and the sham of an exercise was carried out.”
Justice Tripathi's order was subsequently annulled by a double-bench of Patna HC chaired by the then acting Chief Justice Iqbal Ahmad Ansari on 16 July, 2016. The aggrieved petitioner challenged the order passed by the bench comprising Justice Iqbal Ahmad Ansari and Justice Jyoti Sharan. The SC admitted the SLP for hearing.
The appointments were also inquired by BB Lal inquiry committee, the one man committee appointed by the then governor-cum-chancellor DY Patil. Lal, in his voluminous report observed that the ‘entire transaction relating to the appointment of 12 principals is replete with instances of violation of the provisions of the Bihar State Universities Act, the statutes and executive instructions and is a testimony to corrupt practices, conspiratorial machinations, retrospective documentation, interpolations, clandestine action etc”.
According to sources, former MU VC Arun Kumar allegedly made appointments of 15 principals, including three appointments made against non-existing posts in anticipation of future vacancy likely to be caused by superannuation or death or dismissal or incapacitation of the serving principals. Arun was later arrested by the vigilance sleuths for his alleged involvement in the illegal appointments.