SARFRAZ AHMAD vs THE VICE CHANCELLOR ,JMI AND ORS.

Judgment text excerpt

$~61 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Decided on: 05.08.2025 + W.P.(C) 15525/2023 SARFRAZ AHMAD .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Alamgir, Advocate with petitioner. versus THE VICE CHANCELLOR, JMI AND ORS. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Pritish Sabharwal, SC for JMI with Ms. Shmeta Singh, Mr. Sarjeet Kumar, Advocates. CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE PRATEEK JALAN PRATEEK JALAN, J. (ORAL) 1. By way of this writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution, the petitioner assails an order dated 20.03.2023, by which the respondent – Jamia Millia Islamia [“the University”], terminated his services as Assistant Professor, Department of Persian. 2. The petitioner was appointed to the aforesaid post on 12.12.2012. It is the petitioner’s case that, he was subjected to victimisation by certain Professors in the Department, which ultimately led him to discontinue taking classes for a period of time. According to the petitioner, the matter was thereafter resolved by the Registrar of the University, pursuant to Signature Not Verified Signed By:UMANG W.P.(C) 15525/2023 Page 1 of 7 KHANNA Signing Date:06.08.2025 17:09:11 which he resumed taking classes in the year 2021. 3. The position of the University, however, is that the petitioner remained unauthorisedly absent from classes for approximately two years, as a result of which several complaints were received against him. Consequently, an Inquiry Committee was constituted on 05.04.2021 pursuant to the recommendation of the Executive Council dated 31.12.2020. The Committee was tasked with looking into complaints lodged by the petitioner, as well as a complaint made by the Head of Department against him. The Committee held two meetings and interacted with both the petitioner and the Head of Department. It subsequently recommended that