KSDSU vice chancellor missed HC hearing, taken into custody on court orders

KSDSU vice chancellor Shashinath Jha said he was not aware of the court order requiring his personal appearance and has reached Patna with university officials for the high court hearing.

A Bihar university vice chancellor Shashinath Jha was taken into custody by the state police late on Wednesday evening in compliance with the Patna high court’s order after he missed a court hearing, police said.

The Patna high court issued bailable warrants for the vice chancellor in a case related to retiral benefits for a former employee of a college (KSDSU website)

Darbhanga senior superintendent of police (SSP) Awkash Kumar said the VC was to appear in person before the Patna high court on July 20, but he was a no show. The high court justice Mohit Kumar Shah subsequently issued a bailable warrant against him and ordered the Darbhanga Police to present him before the court on Thursday. The top university official was later released on bail and left for Patna for the hearing.

The principal-in-charge of Sarbjeet Sanskrit Upshastri College, Amit Kumar Chandal said the case relates to a writ petition filed by Laxmi Devi to seek retiral benefits for her late husband who was a non-teaching staffer at the college.

KSDSU vice chancellor Shashinath Jha said the retiral benefits could not be paid in the case as the state government hadn’t released the funds on this score.

The vice chancellor maintained that he was not aware of the court order requiring his personal appearance and hence missed it. “As of now, I have, however, already reached Patna along with staff and am staying here to appear in court on Thursday as directed by it”.