Court asks St. Stephen’s to get house in order

The Delhi High Court on Friday expressed concern over the ongoing fight within St. Stephen’s College and asked Principal Valson Thampu and the college governing body to settle their difference amicably.

The Delhi High Court on Friday expressed concern over the ongoing fight within St. Stephen’s College and asked Principal Valson Thampu and the college governing body to settle their difference amicably.

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“Why do you keep fighting? Why don’t all of you sit down and settle the differences?” Justice P. K. Bhasin told the lawyers of both sides.

The high court was hearing cases filed against each other by Thampu and the college administration (comprising the governing body, the supreme council and chairman Bishop of Delhi Rev. S.K. Singh).

Thampu has challenged the decision to put him under probation, calling it a step towards his ouster and also leveled various corruption charges against the administration.

The opposite camp has accused the principal of lying before the court and sought removal of the stay on his termination. The lawyer for the governing body and supreme council Sunil Mathews submitted there was a move to settle the issue and as part of it Thampu had agreed to withdraw the case. “But now he has gone back on his undertaking,” the lawyer told the court.

Thampu is of the view that the probation was illegal. He contends no past principals have been put on probation.

“If my probation is not withdrawn I too cannot withdraw the case,” Thampu’s lawyer told the court. It was then that Justice Bhasin intervened and asked both sides to thrash out the difference and come back to the court on January 17.

Meanwhile, in a separate case, Thampu has challenged before a two-judge bench a single bench’s stay of the participation of election commissioner S. Y. Qureshi in the college's governing body meeting to be held soon.