Anna University ex-VC seeks copy of inquiry report

Former Vice-Chancellor of the Anna University, M K Surappa on Monday prayed the Madras High Court to furnish to him a copy of the report of Justice P Kalaiarasan, the one-man Commission constituted last year to probe various allegations against him.

If the report copy is furnished to him, he is even prepared to withdraw his writ petition challenging the constitution of the commission, Surappa's counsel told Justice V Parthiban, when the petition came up for further hearing today.

Granting time till Monday (January 10) to Advocate-General R Shanmugasundaram to find out whether Surappa can be supplied a copy of the report, Justice Parthiban adjourned the matter till that day.

The Commission of Inquiry, headed by Justice P Kalaiarasan (a retired judge of the High Court), had been constituted in November 2020 by the then AIADMK government to probe the allegations of bribery, corruption, malpractices, financial irregularities and irregular appointments, against Surappa.

Aggrieved, Surappa had filed the present petition denying all the charges alleged against him. He claimed he had undertaken major development works in the interest of the premier technical varsity, ever since he had assumed office in April 2018. His opposition to the State government's decision to pass all engineering students without conducting arrear examinations due to Covid-19 and the efforts taken by him to obtain an Institute of Eminence (IoE) status for the university, had triggered the confrontation.

He also stated he had refused to part with university funds for purchasing decorative items at the offices of the then Higher Education Minister and the Secretary. All this had ended in him drawing the ire of the previous government, he had contended.

In February last year, Justice S Vaidyanathan had restrained the government from taking any action against Surappa.

Later, the Commission had submitted its findings in a report to the State government.