G SARANA Vs. UNIVERSITY OF LUCKNOW

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS appeal by special leave is directed against the judgment and other dated 31/03/1975, of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court dismissing the Writ Petition No. 405 of 1974 filed by the appellant challenging the recommendation made by a Selection Committee of the Lucknow University (hereinafter referred to as 'the University') for appointment of respondent No. 8 as Professor of Anthropology in the Faculty of Arts of the University.

(2.) THE facts giving rise to this appeal are : Towards the end of the year 1973, the University put up an advertisement inviting applications from candidates possessing the following qualifications to fill up a vacant post of Professor of Anthropology:-

(3.) ON coming to know of the recommendation, the appellant filed the aforesaid petition under Art. 226 of the Constitution challenging the recommendation mainly on the ground that two out of the aforesaid three experts viz., Dr. S. C. Dube and against him in favour of respondent No. 8. It was alleged by the appellant that the respondent had close relations with the aforesaid two experts as he was instrumental in obtaining many remunerative assignments for them. It was further averred by the appellant that whenever Dr. Dube visited Lucknow, he stayed with respondent No. 8. It was also averred by the appellant that Dr. Chopra had strained relations with him on account of straight election contest between him and the latter for the office of the President of Anthropology Section of the Indian Science Congress for 1974. The appellant further averred that in 1968 when he was serving in the Punjab University as a Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology headed by Dr. Chopra, the latter stubbornly opposed his application for leave to avail of the offer of fellowship from Harvard University and stopped forwarding his salary bills to the Executive Council with the ulterior object of depriving him of the opportunity to attain higher academic qualification and thereby better his future prospects with the result that he was compelled to resign his job and surrender three months' salary in lieu of notice to avail of the offer.