Court stays appointments of new varsity wardens, orders status quo

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the appointment of two newly inducted women hostel wardens at Chaudhary Devi Lal University (CDLU), Sirsa, and halted the transfer of existing wardens to unrelated departments. The court directed that the petitioners continue in their original posts.

The order came after Manju Bala and another warden filed a petition challenging the May 14, 2025 decision of the university to appoint new wardens under Clause 23(4) of the University Statute, despite no vacancy. The petitioners, appointed via Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam Limited in May 2022, argued that the university lacked the authority to alter their roles without due process.

Represented by advocate Jagbir Malik, the petitioners claimed they were transferred arbitrarily — one to Vivekanand Library, the other to the Colleges Branch — in what they alleged was an act of favoritism. “We were transferred without any fault or valid reason, simply because the former Vice-Chancellor wanted to replace us with his acquaintances,” one petitioner told The Tribune. She added that the new appointees were from the former VC’s community and had personal ties with him.

The court, presided over by Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya, has issued notices to respondents and listed the case for hearing on August 22.

JJP leader Digvijay Chautala, who had earlier flagged irregularities, welcomed the stay and alleged that former Vice-Chancellor Prof Narsi Ram Bishnoi made biased appointments. He also expressed hope for transparency under Dr Vijay Kumar, who was appointed the new VC on May 27 by Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, replacing Bishnoi amid the controversy.