Row at Gondwana University over ₹15 lakh lawyer's fee; three senate members complain to governor

Gadchiroli: A decision by Gondwana University to spend ₹15 lakh on hiring a lawyer for a court case has sparked a row, Loksatta reported. Senate members Prof Nilesh Belorkar, Deepak Dhopte and Dr Dilip Chaudhari have objected to the expense in a memorandum to the chancellor and governor, seeking disciplinary action against vice-chancellor Dr Prashant Bokare, cancellation of the lawyer's appointment and recovery of the money spent.

University registrar Dr Anil Hirekhan had moved the high court against the state government seeking an extension of his retirement age, and the court, in an interim order, allowed him to continue as registrar until further orders. The members allege that although a lawyer from the university's panel could have handled the case, the vice-chancellor engaged Adv M G Bhangle for a fee of ₹15 lakh, of which ₹7.5 lakh has been paid from university funds.

For a university with limited finances, such an expense is improper and has put an unnecessary burden on its funds, the members say. Although the management council had empowered the vice-chancellor to take a suitable decision, it should have been taken according to the rules, they said, seeking a thorough inquiry.

Vice-chancellor Bokare has rejected the objections. The management council examined all aspects of the matter and sent him a proposal, which he approved under the powers given to him, so there was nothing objectionable about it, he said. The university has engaged lawyers from outside its panel in major cases before as well, he added.

Source: Loksatta