Supreme Court questions appointing of professor as Aligarh Muslim University VC by panel including her husband

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday questioned validity of appointment of Prof Naima Khatoon, as the first woman Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, after noting that her husband, Prof Mohd Gulrez, then officiating VC, was part of the executive council meeting that shortlisted her name for the panel.

A bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and Justice N V Anjaria orally observed a husband's participation when the wife's name is under consideration for a post raised doubts over fairness of the process.

The court was hearing a plea by Prof Muzaffar Uruj Rabbani and Prof Faizan Mustafa against the Allahabad High Court's order which upheld Prof Khatoon's appointment.

During the hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners, questioned the validity of the selection process.

Sibal said, “If this is the way Vice-Chancellors are appointed, I shudder to think what will happen in future”.

Sibal said that the outcome was tilted by the casting of two crucial votes, including one by the outgoing VC.

“She would have secured only six votes if those two are excluded,” he submitted.

Sibal stressed that the appointment was vitiated since her husband had presided over the meeting of the executive council and university court, which included her name in the panel to be sent to the visitor.

The court observed that the previous VC should not have attended the meeting when his wife's name was being considered. It pointed out the High Court observed that it would have been better for the VC to have walked out of the proceedings and made the next senior person the chairperson.

“Normally, even when we sit in the Collegium, when a junior from the bar is under consideration, we also recuse....certainly, the husband's participation when the wife's name is under consideration, raises doubts,” the bench said.

Things should not only be done properly but also be seen to be done properly, the court cited a saying.

Additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati, however, underscored the historic nature of Prof Khatoon’s appointment. She contended that this is a part selection and a part election.

“The High Court may not have agreed with our election argument but it did uphold her appointment,” she said.

Bhati pointed out that the petitioners had not challenged related appointments such as that of the provost.

She termed the objections as based merely on “apprehension of bias.”

However, the bench felt that ideally the VC should have refrained from participating in the voting process.

Justice Chandran, a part of the bench, offered to recuse himself from the matter, citing his past role as a university chancellor in a similar selection process.

“I was the chancellor of Consortium of National Law University when I selected Faizan Mustafa ...so I can recuse myself from the hearing,” he said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said there is full faith in Justice Chandran and there is no need for his recusal.

The CJI, however, directed listing of the case before a bench to which Justice Chandran is not a part of. Now the plea will be heard before another bench.