Kerala HC directs Sanskrit varsity to produce email linked to deferral of campus election

The Kerala High Court recently directed Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit (SSUS), Kalady, to produce an email that allegedly led to the deferral of the campus union election.

Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan was considering a petition filed by Union general secretary candidate P.K. Midhun Krishna, alleging that the Vice-Chancellor (V-C) had postponed the election solely on the basis of complaints from students reportedly affiliated with the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Kerala Students Union (KSU). The petitioner claimed that the complainants had submitted their nominations to contest the election, but these were rejected due to defects in their applications.

The petition stated that the V-C had cited a report by the impartial observer (IO) of the campus election recommending the postponement in her order. However, the petitioner claimed that the IO had not recommended postponing the polls and had allegedly communicated this to the returning officer.

Mr. Krishna, a postgraduate student at the university, informed the court that he and some other students had approached the V-C seeking a review of the postponement order. Aggrieved by the V-C’s inaction on their request, the petitioner had moved the High Court.

The petitioner sought to quash the postponement order and have the election conducted as originally scheduled.