Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court has permitted the central govt to act against Dheeraj Sharma, director, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Rohtak, in connection with a notice issued to him for concealing the fact that he did not possess the requisite first class degree for appointment to the coveted post.
The order passed on Oct 22 and released on Saturday came after the court heard the Centre’s reply in the matter, which has been pending for the last two years.
“The respondents (Union of India) may pass final order on the above-mentioned show-cause notice already served upon the petitioner (Dheeraj Sharma), to which reply has already been furnished... Let the final order be placed on record before this court. It is, however, made clear that the final order, if passed to the prejudice of the petitioner, shall not be implemented till the next date of hearing,” the HC ordered. The matter has now been fixed for Jan 28, 2025 for further hearing.
Satya Pal Jain, additional solicitor general of India, contended that an interim order was passed on the show-cause notice itself. He argued that a reply to the said show-cause notice had already been received, but passing of the final order was stayed. The position has remained unchanged for a period of more than two years, Jain added.
He also mentioned that the matter was being delayed on one pretext or the other on behalf of the petitioners and was not being finally argued. Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj has passed these orders while hearing two separate petitions filed by Amitava Choudhury and another against Dheeraj Sharma. The court has also clubbed the petition filed by Sharma against issuance of show-cause notice to him.
In the show-cause notice dated March 28, 2022, the central govt asked Sharma to explain why administrative and legal action should be not taken against him for concealing the fact that he had a second division in his graduation degree, when the requirement was of first division. The notice has also alleged that Sharma did not submit a graduation degree for almost five years. He was asked to explain why he intentionally concealed the fact and got undue benefit of the post of director for five years. Sharma, however, had taken a technical objection contending that the show-cause notice was issued by the authority (under-secretary to Govt of India), which was not competent to issue the same.