Punjab & Haryana High Court disposes writ petition against PTU’s show cause notice

Jalandhar, August 19, 2013: Punjab & Haryana High Court today disposed a writ petition filed by Maneet Dewan challenging the show cause notice issued to him by Punjab Technical University (PTU). He is the Director of Vidya Infosys, a Regional Centre (RC) of PTU based at Ludhiana which has PTU’s learning centers (LCs) under it in other states.

According to Dr. Rajneesh Arora, Vice Chancellor, Punjab Technical University (PTU), “The University had received written complaints and affidavits against this RC from eight different prospective LCs with complete details of the unauthorized payments they had made to the RC as asked by it under different names, and for different purposes, promising to make them PTU LCs under itself soon. PTU in response had issued show cause notice to Vidya Infosys to explain within 15 days this malpractice and why it should not be construed as a breach of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between them, failing which the MoU shall stand annulled.”

Along with this show cause notice, PTU had attached the list of complaints and affidavits for his perusal and reply in accordance thereof. Maneet Dewan sought an extension of time period as he was in Australia and copies of complaints and affidavits. PTU agreed to grant him an extension of 7 days from the date of his landing in India, which when verified as per the immigration slip happens to be August 6, 2013. Therefore, he had to reply to the show cause notice by August 13, 2013.

However, instead of replying to show cause notice, Maneet Dewan filed a writ petition in the Court on August 10, 2013, challenging it, stating that despite his request, PTU has not provided him copies of the complaints and affidavits and only the list shall not suffice. His petition had two notable prayers – the first prayer was to quash the show cause notice if University does not furnish the copies of complaints and affidavits. And if the University agrees to do so, he should be given 15 days time to respond from the date of receiving the same.

It is notable that Dr. HS Bains, Registrar, PTU, through an email dated August 5, 2013 in response to his request for copies, had sent him an annexure that contained not just the list but summary of the complaints and affidavits. The complaining prospective LCs had further apprised to PTU that Maneet Dewan had approached them urging, and at times intimidating, them to withdraw their complaints and affidavits upon which he shall refund them the money he had charged them in an unauthorized and hence illegal manner. Considering this, the University was apprehensive of sharing copies of complaints and affidavits with Dewan for this would have resulted in sharing the names, addresses and contact details of complaining prospective LCs and he may have used this to carry his approach and intimidation further.    

The second prayer had reference to a previous case wherein the RC had alleged that the appointment of a particular Coordinator & Facilitator (C&F) by the University was with an intention to expunge Vidya Infosys from distance education operations. Herein, the respected lawyer representing PTU had assured the RC that PTU had no agenda against its removal and all due procedures shall be adhered to. Referring this, Dewan said that this show cause notice was against that assurance and hence should be quashed.

Today, when the petition came up for hearing in the Court, Dewan’s lawyer again pleaded that his client has not been provided with copies of complaints and affidavits. At this juncture lawyer representing PTU apprised the Court the apprehension for not furnishing this and that the summary has already been provided instead. The respected Judge then asked as to why this summary is not a part of the documents submitted by Dewan. He, in fact, had deleted the annexure attachment shared by PTU Registrar while presenting his case to the Court which is a fraudulent act of tampering communication. The respected Judge derided Dewan for this irresponsible deed which amounts to hiding facts, misleading the Court and thereby gaining time.

Respected Judge asked PTU to hand over the attested copies of the complaints and affidavits to Dewan. He also declined to admit the petition, disposing the same off. Dewan has been instructed by the Court to file his reply to show cause notice within 3 days from today. The respected Judge gave the verdict that PTU, if deem fit, has the rights to take suitable action based on his reply.

This verdict was pronounced in the Court today by the respected Judge and a written order to this effect is awaited.

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