High court issues warrant against former Anna univ VC Kalanidhi

High court issues warrant against former Anna univ VC Kalanidhi

Academic Fails To Appear Before The Court Twice

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 18.02.2021

Incensed by willful failure of former Anna University vice-chancellor A Kalanidhi to appear in court despite orders, the Madras high court has issued a warrant against the academic and ordered authorities to secure and present him before the court on February 25.

A division bench of Justice R Subbiah and Justice Sathi Kumar Sukumara Kurup issued the directions on Tuesday, and said: “Today, when this appeal is taken up for hearing counsel for the appellant (Kalanidhi) submits that Dr Kalanidhi is out of India and therefore he could not appear before this court. On the other hand, counsel for the respondent submit that Dr Kalanidhi is very much available in India, and his non-appearance before this court is willful and wanton.”

Also, when Kalanidhi’s counsel sought to withdraw an appeal filed by the former vice-chancellor, who had challenged a single judge verdict concerning an Anna University premises occupied by Indian Society for Technical Education, the bench said: “We are not inclined to grant such permission to counsel for the appellant (Kalanidhi) to withdraw this appeal.”

On February 2, the bench was informed by the Indian Society for Technical Education that they had not authorized Kalanidhi to file the writ appeal at all. On hearing this, the bench had directed Kalanidhi to appear before the court on February 10.

On February 10, however, his counsel said the February 2 order could not be communicated to Kalanidhi and hence he could not appear before the high court.

Acceding to his request, the bench then fixed February 16 as the date for Kalanidhi to appear before the court. When it was taken up as scheduled, it was submitted that the academic was abroad and could not appear in court.

It was in this context that the bench issued the bailable warrant against the former vice-chancellor and directed the authorities to secure him.

The bench also gave details of his residential address, besides his telephone numbers to authorities concerned.

The high court ordered authorities to secure and present the academician before the court on February 25