The Allahabad High Court has granted one week’s time to the Vice Chancellor (VC) of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) to submit an affidavit regarding the promotion of Assistant Professor Dr. Sushil Kumar Dubey. Justice Manju Rani Chauhan passed the order on Tuesday while hearing a contempt application filed by Dr. Dubey. The next date of hearing has been fixed for September 23.
During the proceedings, counsel for the BHU VC informed the court that substantial compliance had been made with the earlier writ court’s order. He pointed out that a new vice chancellor assumed office on August 1 and that the university’s executive council has now been constituted, which will reconsider the matter of the petitioner’s promotion. On this assurance, the counsel sought a week’s time to file an affidavit, which the court allowed.
The case stems from an order dated January 7, in which the High Court had directed that if the executive council was constituted within three months, it must decide on the reconsideration of Dr. Dubey’s promotion. The court further held that if the council failed to take a decision within the stipulated time, the petitioner would be considered for promotion, subject to any subsequent decision by the executive council.
Earlier, on May 12, the court had issued notice to the opposite party to file a compliance affidavit in line with its January 7 order. With the executive council now in place, the court will review the VC’s affidavit on September 23 to determine whether compliance has been achieved.
