HC dismisses reappointment of Sonali Chakrabarti as Calcutta University V-C

In a major blow, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday dismissed a decision of the state government to reappoint Sonali Chakrabarti Banerjee as the Vice-Chancellor of the Calcutta University.

Daughter of the late legendary Bengal poet, Nirendranath Chakrabarti, Sonali Chakrabarti Banerjee, is wife of Alapan Banerjee, former West Bengal Chief Secretary and the current chief advisor to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

She is also the first woman Vice-Chancellor of the Calcutta University.

On August 28, 2021, the state government had announced its decision to re-appoint Sonali Chakrabarti Banerjee. However, that decision was challenged in the court by advocate Anindya Sundar Das.

During the course of hearing, the state advocate general, S.N. Mukhopadhyay argued that as per the rules of the Calcutta University, the re-appointment of a Vice-Chancellor is not at par with any appointment for the same post.

He argued that the appointment is made as per provisions of the University Grants Commission (GC). But in case of re-appointment, the West Bengal Governor needs to accept the decision of the state government.

However, the petitioner counsel, Billwadal Bhattcharya, placed a counter argument that the state government gave re-appointment to Sonali Chakrabarti Banerjee without giving prior intimation to the-then Governor, Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is now the Vice President of India.

Finally, after a long hearing on this count in phases, the division bench of the Calcutta High Court's Chief Justice, Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj, observed that the re-appointment was not in accordance with law and hence, Sonali Chakrabarti Banerjee should be immediately removed from that chair.

It is learnt that the state government is considering moving the Supreme Court against the decision.

Sonali Chakrabarti Banerjee was in the midst of controversy in October 2017, the wake of the decision of the university authorities then to confer D Litt to the Chief Minister for her contribution to art, literature and women's welfare.

The opposition parties in the state had ridiculed the move.

--IANS

src/ksk/