The Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow bench has granted Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU) the authority to withdraw a previous inquiry order against its Registrar, Ashwani Kumar Singh, involved in a corruption allegation. The court also allowed the university to issue a new order if necessary, underlining the institution’s ability to reinitiate proceedings according to legal standards.
This decision came from a division bench comprising Justices A R Masoodi and Subhash Vidyarthi, who were considering a special appeal by BBAU. The appeal was against a November 28 single judge’s order that had not only halted Singh’s suspension but also the inquiry led by the university’s acting vice chancellor. The single judge cited a lack of jurisdiction as the basis for the stay.
During the hearing, the division bench agreed that the initial inquiry was out of jurisdiction but recognized the university’s plea, represented by counsel Amrendra Nath Tripathi, to reconsider the matter lawfully. As part of the court’s directive, Singh will continue his duties until a new, competently issued order is implemented.
