Kochi: The High Court has quashed the disciplinary proceedings initiated by the state government against Dr M Rema, former principal-in-charge of the Kasaragod Government College. The court issued the order after accepting Dr Rema's argument the investigation was biased and that external interference and vested interests influenced the proceedings.
The division bench, comprising Justice A Muhammad Mushtaq and Justice Shobha Annamma Eepan, issued the order in response to a petition filed by Dr Rema. In the petition, she asserted that she was relieved of her duties as principal and transferred based on false accusations, and an investigation was ordered on a complaint by the SFI, the student organisation of CPM. The court also invalidated the charge memo issued as part of the disciplinary process, which was served a few days before her retirement on March 31.
George Poonthottam, counsel for Rema, argued that she faced harassment due to her criticism of the Student Federation of India (SFI) and her efforts to combat drug use on campus. The court had previously questioned how disciplinary action could be taken against the principal for criticising the SFI, highlighting the absence of similar action when she criticised the Muslim Students Federation (MSF).
