HC sets aside transfer of woman associate professor

Madras High Court today set aside an order transferring an Associate Professor from a college in Cuddalore to Kancheepuram after she took up some alleged financial irregularities in a trust administering a group of educational institutions, holding it was a punitive measure and not a simple transfer on administrative ground.
Allowing a petition by Dr P Shanthi, Associate Professor in C Kandasamy Naidu College for Women at Cuddalore, Justice K K Sasidharan quashed the November 26, 2014 order transferring her to the Pachaiyappas College for Men at Kancheepuram.
She is also a member of the Syndicate of Thiruvalluvar University from the Teachers Constituency and Office-Bearer of the Association of University Teachers.

"...I am therefore of the view that the transfer was made only as a punitive measure and it was not a simple transfer on administrative ground as projected by the Trust Board. Hence the order of transfer is hereby set aside," the Judge said.
The petitioner had submitted that after she took up the issue regarding alleged financial irregularities by the Pachaiyappas Trust, the Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education conducted surprise inspection and thereafter recommendation was made for appointment of a new Principal in the place of Dr Mallika Chandran at the Cuddalore College.
Similarly, pursuant to a complaint by the petitioner, the Thiruvalluvar University debarred Mallika Chandran from all examination related works for a period of five years.