HC raps Stephen’s principal over student editor’s suspension

The Delhi High Court on Thursday rapped St Stephen’s College Principal Valson Thampu over the manner in which he handled the suspension of student editor Devansh Mehta of its banned e-zine for “violating” discipline and asked him to revoke the suspension.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday rapped St Stephen’s College Principal Valson Thampu over the manner in which he handled the suspension of student editor Devansh Mehta of its banned e-zine for “violating” discipline and asked him to revoke the suspension.

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It also castigated the Delhi University for not playing an impartial role in the entire matter.

Expressing his anguish, Justice Vibhu Bakhru said the issue should not have reached the court for its intervention, as it showed “how the Stephen’s College Principal has gone about it”.

“Look at the way you are behaving. Is this the way a principal of the college should act? You should have some sense of humour,” the court said, adding “you should take your steps (against the student editor) back”.

It said it will appreciate if the matter is resolved “within your self” as the court does not want to hear the issue again.

“If you (Stephen’s College) want an opportunity, we will ask you to hold meetings with the students who were suspended but later taken back after the court stayed the operation of the same,” the judge said.

The court also pulled up the Delhi University for claiming that the petitioner was guilty to some extent as he had not denied the charges against him.

“This does not inspire any confidence,” it said and asked “anyone who speaks to the media, will you suspend him?”

“You should play an impartial role,” the court told the University. The court on April 17 had stayed Thampu’s order suspending Devansh Mehta, the student editor of the e-zine, and had asked whether anyone can be suspended for speaking to the media.