The Allahabad High Court on Saturday rejected a petition that challenged Professor Naima Khatoon’s appointment as vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), alleging that due process was not followed.
The court has consolidated two additional petitions filed on the same issue.
The petitioners in the writs have assailed the selection and that her husband, Professor Mohammed Gulrez, was acting as vice-chancellor and had presided over the crucial meetings of the executive council and the court, wherein his wife was recommended for appointment to the post. It is asserted that this is not just a case of likelihood of bias on the part of Gulrez, but the proceedings have been manipulated to secure the selection and appointment of Khatoon.
“Though, we are of the opinion that Professor Gulrez Ahmad ought not to have presided and participated in the meeting of executive council and the university court, yet, considering the nature of appointment process and the limited recommendatory role of executive council and university court in making of appointment of Vice-Chancellor, we are of the considered view that participation of Professor Gulrez Ahmad in such proceedings has not vitiated the selection proceedings,” a division bench of Justices Donadi Ramesh and Ashwani Kumar Mishra stated in its order. “The change of one member of the Executive Council soon before the holding of meeting dated 30.10.2023 is also not decisive for such reason,” the bench added.
The court further said that, “The answer has to be a definite no. We have already noticed that qualification of Professor Naima Khatoon to be appointed as the Vice-Chancellor is not in issue. Her ultimate selection is by the Visitor against whom no allegation of bias is made. She was erstwhile Principal of Women’s College of the University.”
“Merely because her husband was acting as vice chancellor and had presided and participated in the meetings of Executive Council and University Court which also recommended her name, in addition to others, for appointment as Vice-Chancellor cannot be a ground to interfere with her appointment as the first woman Vice-Chancellor of the University,” it added.
The court further stated that, “For the reasons and deliberations held above, we hold that discretion exercised by the Visitor in appointing Professor Naima Khatoon as the first woman Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University from a panel of three names recommended by the University Court merits no interference. Writ petitions are, accordingly, dismissed. Costs made easy.”
