Punjab and Haryana HC Confirms Dr Dheeraj Sharma's Role as IIM Rohtak Director
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Synopsis
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld Dr. Dheeraj Sharma's appointment as Director of IIM Rohtak, dismissing a petition and a show-cause notice regarding his academic qualifications. The ruling emphasized the legitimacy of his selection by the SCSC and clarified the scope of the writ of quo warranto.
Key Takeaways
- The Punjab and Haryana High Court confirmed Dr. Dheeraj Sharma's appointment as IIM Rohtak Director.
- Justice Kuldeep Tiwari led the single-judge bench ruling.
- The court ruled that the writ of quo warranto was not applicable in this case.
- Dr. Sharma faced multiple inquiries regarding his qualifications.
- A special audit by the CAG is ongoing concerning his appointment.
Chandigarh/Rohtak (Haryana), April 23 (NationPress) The Punjab and Haryana High Court has rejected a petition challenging the appointment of Dr Dheeraj Sharma as the Director of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Rohtak, and has also overturned a show-cause notice issued regarding his claimed academic credentials.
A single-judge bench led by Justice Kuldeep Tiwari noted that the writ petition against Dr. Sharma appeared to be a proxy litigation initiated by former employees who were terminated.
In 2022, the Union Ministry of Education issued a show-cause notice to Dr. Sharma for failing to provide his academic degree certificates and for allegedly misrepresenting his educational qualifications during his appointment process.
In the ruling, the Justice Tiwari-led Bench remarked that the writ of quo warranto was not applicable to Dr. Sharma’s appointment, as he legitimately took on the role of Director following his selection by the SCSC (Search-cum-Selection Committee) under the category of "nomination from eminent person".
"The mere presence of suspicion does not give this court the authority to initiate a broad and unfocused inquiry through a writ of Quo Warranto. This is beyond the scope of the writ of quo warranto. The Hon’ble Supreme Court has clarified in the case of J. Jeyakumaran that the writ of Quo Warranto should not serve to unseat any office bearer through exploratory inquiries," the Punjab and Haryana HC ruled.
Furthermore, the court specified that the SCSC holds the authority to recommend candidates for the Director position based on their fulfillment of the advertised eligibility criteria and can also include names of candidates nominated from "eminent persons".
It has been reported that Dr. Sharma has been subject to several investigations, including a visitorial inquiry to assess his qualifications for the Director role. In addition, a special audit by the CAG is currently taking place regarding the Director's appointment.
