Mumbai vice chancellor Rajan Welukar got relief from SC

Rajan Welukar, vice chancellor of Mumbai University got some relief when Supreme Court of India rejected the plea of former Pro Vice chancellor A D Sawant asking the apex court to set up a new committee to search and verify Welukar’s eligibility to the post and to remove the temporary stay against the Bombay High Court orders.

An application was made by Sawant in Special Leave Petition which was filed by Welukar against the 2 Bombay High Court orders. These orders had struck the search committee that was formed in 2010 and said that it had not applied its mind and accepted Welukar’s criteria that he had published at least 5 papers in international research journals. Then it had ordered for a new search committee to be formed to check Welukar’s eligibility but Supreme Court has stayed this order of High Court and so Welukar has started working as Mumbai University’s vice chancellor again.

Jayant Bhushan who is Sawant’s counsel has told that this application will become infructuous because Welukar’s term will end this July and court is on vacation in some time. Bench headed by Chief Justice of India H L Dattu, Arun Mishra, and Justices Sharad Bobde told that this matter will be heard and decided post vacation. Bhushan asked that new committee should be appointed and their decision must be put in sealed cover but CJI declined this. Court will look into this matter on its own and if it finds that he is ineligible then it will lead to a black mark on vice chancellor.

Welukar’s counsel Shekhar Naphade who appeared for him told the court that when an expert body have clarified and found Mr Welukar as an eligible person for the said post judicial scrutiny was not needed. When the High Court had given the order, Vidyasagar Rao Maharashtra governor, who is the current Chancellor of the said university too, had asked Welukar not to work as Vice Chancellor of the university and also had appointed Naresh Chandra to act as Vice Chancellor until further orders were given on this matter.  He had also asked to set up a new committee on this issue.

by Sushma Javare.