By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The State Government has issued a show cause notice to CMJ University asking why it should not be closed down.
“We have issued a show cause notice for the dissolution of the University,” Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Education, Prof RC Laloo, told reporters after a Cabinet meeting here on Friday.
Prof Laloo said that the University is yet to reply to the show cause notice of the Government.
“I do not have the details about the actual deadline given to the University to reply to the show cause notice. But they have been given ample time to reply as per the provisions laid down in the Act,” he added.
M’laya has no standing counsel in SC
Alleged laxity on the part of the State Government in properly presenting the CMJ University case in the Supreme Court has resulted in the apex court recently ruling in favour of the absconding Chancellor of the University, Chandra Mohan Jha.
Incidentally, Meghalaya Police are still waiting for the copy of the order regarding granting of anticipatory bail to Jha.
According to sources, in the absence of a standing counsel in the Supreme Court to represent the Meghalaya Government, the anticipatory bail petition remained uncontested, thereby making it easy for Jha to get the anticipatory bail.
Earlier, senior counsel Ranjan Mukherjee used to be the standing counsel for the Meghalaya Government, but now it is learnt that the State does not have a standing counsel in the Supreme Court.
It was on July 19 that the absconding Chancellor of CMJ University, represented by his counsels, contested the order passed by the High Court of Meghalaya for a non-bailable warrant of arrest in connection with an FIR in the CID case No 2 (4) of 2013 under sections 420, 406/460 IPC in the Supreme Court and pleaded for anticipatory bail.
The Supreme Court passed an interim ex-parte order, first of all to issue notice to Meghalaya Government and to allow Jha to get anticipatory bail in case he is arrested. The apex court granted the interim order after admitting the Special Leave Petition against the order of the High Court of Meghalaya on May 16, 2013.