Breather for Kurien: HC upholds sacking of IRMA head

The Gujarat High Court today upheld the sacking of Pratap Reddy, former director of Institute of Rural Management, Anand, by its chairman V....

The Gujarat High Court today upheld the sacking of Pratap Reddy, former director of Institute of Rural Management, Anand, by its chairman V. Kurien.

A division bench comprising Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice Anand S. Dave granted the appeal filed by Kurien and set aside an earlier order of the single bench which had directed the re-instatement of Reddy as IRMA director.

“The order of learned single judge is set aside in so far as it relates to grant of interim relief to Pratap Reddy,” the court said.

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“However, it is made clear that the observation contained in this order shall not influence the final adjudication of the main matter which is pending before the learned judge.”

“The contract of service between IRMA and Reddy which is non-statutory, cannot be enforced and in any case there was no justification in passing any injunction which has the effect of allowing Reddy to hold the post of director notwithstanding the fact that his tenure stands terminated,” the court said.

Reddy was on April 8 sacked by Kurien as IRMA director after differences emerged between them and appointed L K Vasvani in his place. Reddy had challenged his sacking in the HC, terming the appointment “illegal”.

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