Court refuses to quash suspension of teacher with criminal record

Justice SM Subramaniam dismissed the plea moved by R Kanagaraj, who was a physical education teacher at the Hindu Nadar Uravinmurai Committee Higher Secondary School in Tirunelveli District. He said, “In view of the fact that the writ petitioner, who was working as teacher, had been involved in several number of criminal cases and the investigations are going on, this court is not inclined to consider the case for revocation of suspension.”

“Though the writ petitioner is under suspension for more than four years, in view of the peculiar fact that a teacher is involved in more than six criminal cases, such a leniency is not desirable and consequently the writ petitioner is bound to be under suspension till the investigations are concluded in all cases,” he said.

The physical education teacher was placed under suspension on October 6, 2015 on the ground that a criminal case was registered against him and he was kept under custody for more than 48 hours. Among several criminal cases, the writ petitioner was arrested and remanded in a cheating case, revealed Tirunelveli District Educational Officer. He was incarcerated from September 27, 2015 to October 7, 2015 before being released on conditional bail.

However, Justice Subramaniam on holding that undoubtedly, prolonged suspension is bad in law, said, “The peculiar fact placed before this court that the writ petitioner is a teacher in the present petition is the obstacle for the purpose of granting relief as sought by the writ petitioner.”