A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on October 20 quashed the show-cause notice issued by the Kerala government to Ciza Thomas, former Principal, Government Engineering College, Thiruvananthapuram, for taking over the additional charge of Vice-Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) without the permission of the government, on the instruction of Chancellor (Governor) Arif Mohammed Khan.
The Bench comprising Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Shoba Annamma Eapen passed the verdict while allowing a petition filed by Dr. Thomas against the Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) order in the case.
In her petition, she had alleged that the action of the Kerala government was selective and biased and an abuse of the law. In fact, she was given the additional charge of the V-C while working as senior joint director, Technical Education. Though she had sought permission of the government through e-mail by sending an application through the Director of Technical Education, the government kept mum and did not issue any order or acted on her request till her retirement on March 31, 2023. Her application for prior sanction had been kept in cold storage till the date of her retirement. She said that her appointment as additional V-C was upheld by the Kerala High Court.
