Pune Beat

Gowariker's action on Ogale upheldThe Pune and Shivaji University tribunal on Wednesday upheld the action of the former Vice-Chancellor Dr V...

Gowariker’s action on Ogale upheld
The Pune and Shivaji University tribunal on Wednesday upheld the action of the former Vice-Chancellor Dr Vasant Gowariker of directing physics professor Dr S B Ogale to compulsorily retire from university service, while dismissing Ogale’s appeal against the order.

As per Section 59 (1) of the Maharashtra Universities Act ’94, Gowariker, the then V-C as the competent authority had concluded that Ogale was guilty and had slapped the former head of the physics department with charges of moral turpitude and imposing the punishment of compulsory retirement from service. Ogale had been accused of sexual harassment of students.

Ogale had filed a petition in the tribunal in May last year where the Pune and Shivaji University tribunal had stayed the operational part of the V-C’s order issued on April 9. Chairman of the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum Justice A A Halbe, retired High Court Judge who had been given additional charge as the presiding officer of the tribunal had issued the order at Mumbai.

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In a 306-page order, presiding officer of the tribunal P S Mane dismissed the petition and said that all the inquiry procedures carried out by the university as per statues 433 (A) and (H) were proper and correct. The presiding officer said that it was not at all safe to extend the education in future of young students into the hands of such professors and concluded that there was a moral lapse on Ogale’s part and his misconduct towards research students had been proved.

Ogale’s lawyer S V Kanitkar claimed that the inquiry committees formed the university were out of its jurisdiction and the evidence tabled by them was also questioned. While dismissing Ogale’s petition, the presiding officer observed that there was no substance in the petition and since ample scope had been given to the applicant Ogale, the law of natural justice has also been followed by the tribunal.