Fossil case to come up at PU syndicate meet

CHANDIGARH, Oct 30: Nine years after its detection, the infamous fossil case is once again slated to come up before the Panjab University...

CHANDIGARH, Oct 30: Nine years after its detection, the infamous fossil case is once again slated to come up before the Panjab University syndicate when it meets tomorrow.

On this occasion, the decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court of quashing the decision of the university senate of accepting the offer of retirement of Prof V. J. Gupta finds mention in the meeting agenda.

Sources say that the syndicate is faced with two possibilities, one of allowing the status quo to continue and the

other deciding to challenge the order in the apex court.

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Earlier, the high court had quashed the resolution passed by the university senate in its meeting held on March 17, 1996 which had accepted Gupta’s letter seeking voluntary retirement from university service. Since then, Gupta has continued to be in service on the basis of an interim order passed by the court allowing him to continue in service.

Prior to this, following the submission of the Gujral Commission report which had pronounced Gupta guilty, Panjab University had censured Gupta apart from stopping his increments and barring him from holding any university position.

However K. R. Narayanan, the then Vice President in his capacity as the Chancellor of the university had sought a special meeting of the university senate to discuss ways to restore the fair name of the university which had been tarnished. Following this, Gupta had initially sought voluntary retirement, and later withdrawn his letter of retirement.

Meanwhile in its meeting tomorrow, the university syndicate is also expected to discuss other issues including that of affiliation of colleges, while increase in the seats sanctioned to the Christian Medical College will also come up for discussion. Two resolutions regarding conditions of affiliation to colleges are also on the agenda.