Rs 10L compensation if original certificates not returned: HC to Madras Univ

CHENNAI: In order to confirm the return of original certificates and documents of an academician who applied for the TN Senior Scientist Award 2016, the Madras High Court warned the University of Madras saying that the court would impose a cost of Rs.10 lakhs on the university as a compensation for the academician who furnished the certificates with the university in 2017.

Justice R Subramanian passed the orders on disposing of a petition filed by S Subramaniam, a retired professor at, department of biochemistry, University of Madras, Guindy Campus.

The petitioner prayed for a direction to retrieve his application dated December 23, 2017, filed in triplicate along with all original certificates and documents to be forwarded for consideration to the award of Tamil Nadu Senior Scientist 2016.

"…this Writ Petition is disposed of with a direction to the respondents 1 and 2 to retrieve the original documents of the petitioner and hand over the same to him within a period of eight weeks, " Justice R Subramaniam held adding, "If the respondents are unable to return the original documents to the petitioner within a period eight weeks, the Madras University will pay a sum of Rs.10 Lakhs damages to the petitioner."

The judge also made it clear if the documents could not be retrieved within a period of eight weeks, the VC shall initiate an appropriate enquiry by independent persons, not below the rank of Head of the Department of the University and fix the persons who are responsible for the loss of the original documents.

The case of the petitioner was that he submitted the application along with the original certificates to the Registrar of the University for the TN Senior Scientist Award 2016. However, the Registrar replied that his office did not receive any certificates. However, the petitioner showed several communications and e-mail communications regarding the submission of the application and acknowledgment from the Registrar's office.