Chennai, Jul 26: Madras High Court yesterday directed CBI to conduct a probe into appointments made in the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology-Madras between 1995 and 2000 for its correctness and legality.
The court further directed the agency to prosecute the persons responsible, if it was found that any case of illegality had been committed.
Justice S Nagamuth gave the direction on a batch of petitions from W B Vasantha and others, seeking to quash the selection for certain teaching positions by an advertisement issued in 1995 and to further direct the Chairman and Board of Directors and the IIT(M) Director to select her as Associate Professor in a duly constituted selection committee following the reservation for OBC.
The judge said the petitioner should be treated as having been appointed as Associate Professor from July 27, 1995 and as a Professor from December 18, 1996.
He said the pay and allowances for Vasantha from July 27, 1995 as Associate Professor till December 17, 1996 should be calculated notionally for fixing her future salary. But for this period she would not be entitled for back wages.
For the period commencing from December 18, 1996, pay and allowance of the petitioner should be notionally calculated for the post of professor as of date for purpose of fixing her future salary, he said.
However, on such fixation of salary for the post of Professor from December 18, 1996 till today, she should not be entitled for back wages.
For the period between Dec 18, 1996 to till date, she should be given pay and allowances equivalent to the post of Associate Professor and she would be paid the differential amount, the judge said.
Vasantha, who is from the OBC community contended the selection in 1995 was ‘arbitrary, illegal and discriminatory,' since reservation for OBC was not followed despite the Apex Court's rulings.
She said her candidature was ignored despite possessing required qualifications and experience, while her juniors were granted promotions at each and every stage.
