KVASU VC quits after Governor cancels contentious order
Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) ViceChancellor incharge P.C. Saseendran tendered his resignation on Monday.
He stepped down a few hours after Governor Arif Mohammed Khan cancelled the ViceChancellor’s order to reinstate 33 students of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Wayanad, suspended in connection with the death of a student, J.S. Sidharthan, in the college hostel in February.
His family said he was tortured by fellow students, including activists of the Students Federation of India (SFI).
Suspended again
Following the Governor’s intervention, the students were suspended again on Monday.
Dr. Saseendran was appointed on an interim basis after Mr. Khan suspended ViceChancellor M.R. Saseendranath over the student’s death.
Mr. Khan, who is the Chancellor of Staterun universities, took a dim view of the ViceChancellor’s decision to “exonerate” the students, who were among the 90 students suspended in connection with the case.
Finding that the move had been made without seeking legal opinion, the Governor also sought a detailed report from the ViceChancellor on the circumstances that paved the way for his decision.
In his resignation letter submitted to Raj Bhavan, Dr. Saseendran cited personal reasons for his decision.
Sidharthan’s father T. Jayaprakash slammed the move to reinstate students and accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of duping the family after assuring them that the case would be referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
He also visited the Governor at the Raj Bhavan and appealed for his intervention in the case.
He said that he received assurance that no unlawful decision will be permitted in the issue.
Charge against govt.
The developments assumed a political tinge after BJP leader and National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’s candidate for the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency Rajeev Chandrasekhar faulted the State government for allegedly failing to hand over the case to the CBI.
Speaking to mediapersons shortly after Mr. Jayaprakash met him at the NDA election committee office, he asked whether the promise had been made by the Chief Minister for electoral gains.
Mr. Chandrasekhar also alleged that such incidents had deterred parents from getting their children admitted to educational institutions in the State.
Official sources have clarified that the State government had formally written to the CBI on March 16 to refer the case to the agency.
The Home Department also attached a copy of the gazette notification issued in this regard.