Arrest warrants against Orissa varsity officials

The district consumer disputes redressal forum imposed penal provisions when the varsity officials failed to implement its earlier directive, even after a long time. The district consumer disputes redressal forum issued arrest warrants and asked the district magistrate here to execute the warrants. It also asked the district collector to produce the two accused before the forum before January 30.

The three students had appeared for plus two Upashastri examination in 1998. Their results were withheld for no reason. Despite several requests and representations, the varsity authorities did precious little to redress their grievances. The students then moved the consumer disputes redressal forum. The forum in its June 25, 1999 judgment had directed the varsity to pay Rs 1,55,000 to each student petitioner besides publication of their result within one month. However, the varsity officials did not honour the forum direction, even after six months.

Santanu Acharya, one of the petitioner, again moved the forum which issued a show-cause notice to the varsity officials with little response. On January 3, the varsity officials appeared and requested for further time. While rejecting the time petition, the forum held that “this reveals a motive to avoid compliance of the order and to deprive the petitioners getting the benefits of the forum’s earlier order”. It felt that the varsity authorities were trying to escape from the liability.