American College in fresh controversy

Bishop's son-in-law appointed principal

It's contempt of court, say faculty

DECCAN CHRONICLE | DATED 01-11-2011 | PAGE 06

The over 125-year-old American College in the city is mired in a fresh controversy.

Even as a slew of cases over the legitimacy of the institution’s governing council which appoints the principal is pending before the court, the administration controlled by CSI Bishop Christopher Asir has (illegally)  appointed his son-in-law Davamani Christober as the new principal and secretary.

On Friday, Mr Christober, the bursar and Maths professor, replaced ‘acting’ principal R. Mohan, also belonging to the Bishop’s camp. Mr Mohan continued to be in office since last December, even as the college had another principal incharge Dr P.R.Anbudurai to whom the then principal Chinnaraj T. Joseph handed over charges on his superannuation.

 While the Bishop’s supporters claimed that the selection of Christober was done in accordance with the college norms and was approved by the governing council (the constitution of their Governing Council is NOT valid & cases are pending in District Court regarding its validity) , the staffs opposing the Bishop for his “illegal takeover of the college” are up against arms over his appointment.

Questioning his appointment, Dr Anbudurai asked, “When the legitimacy of the governing council is itself sub-judice with cases pending before the district and high courts, the council convened by the Bishop is illegal and hence null and void.” Only the principal-cumsecretary is vested with the power to convene the council and the Bishop has no locus-standi in doing so, he says pointing out that Mr Mohan was not allowed to act as the secretary either by the government or the high court.

“The same was made very clear in the judgment pronounced by the Madras high court on August 25, 2011, with regard to disbursal of salary. The government too in its representation before the court had categorically stated that Mr Mohan is not the secretary and no such approval had been given. In this scenario, neither Mr Mohan nor the Bishop have the authority to convene the meeting,” Dr Anbudurai said.

Coming down heavily on the Bishop, the protesting faculty members say that his act of appointing his son-in-law as the principal shows his scant regard not only for the college constitution but also for the government and the court. “The appointment, which amounts to contempt of court, has made it clear that the Bishop is keen on usurping the college for its property and other pecuniary interests,” Dr Anbudurai claimed.