High Drama Unfolds as Court Team Attempts to Seize DAVV VC’s Office
A dramatic scene unfolded at Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV) in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, as a team from the civil court arrived on Friday to seize the office of the vice-chancellor. The reason behind this bold move was the alleged non-payment of Rs 1.16 crore to around 35 employees who had been hired on an hourly basis. However, their action was abruptly halted when the university administration presented a stay order from the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
The employees, who had been working at the Institute of Engineering and Technology, an entity of DAVV, took their case to court, claiming that despite their tenure of over 10 years, they were not receiving the benefits entitled to them, such as increased wages and provident funds. They argued that their wages were far below the minimum wage set by the collector. Their plea demanded that DAVV increase their wages and provide them with the benefits they rightfully deserved.
In a ruling in favor of the employees, the court ordered DAVV to pay a sum of Rs 1.16 crore to the plaintiffs. However, the university challenged this order and sought relief from the High Court, which subsequently stayed the lower court’s decision. Nonetheless, the High Court instructed DAVV to pay Rs 50,000 to each of the employees. Adhering to the HC order, DAVV promptly disbursed Rs 50,000 to the hourly employees.
Despite the stay order, the civil court administration dispatched a team to DAVV to seize the vice-chancellor’s office and other premises as a consequence of the university’s perceived non-compliance. Notably, the seizure attempt coincided with Vice-Chancellor Prof Renu Jain’s signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sajit Khan, the head of the Association of Certified Accountants.
While the university officers earnestly presented the copy of the High Court’s order to the civil court team, their efforts appeared to be in vain. In a bid to bring the matter to a satisfactory resolution, a team from the university visited the civil court to present the HC’s stay order. I went to the civil court and showed the High Court’s stay order, after which the seizure drive at the university was halted, confirmed DAVV registrar Ajay Verma.
This unexpected turn of events has shed light on the ongoing complexities surrounding the issue of payment and benefits for hourly employees at DAVV. As the university straddles the conflicting demands of the lower court’s ruling and the relief sought from the High Court, it remains to be seen how the matter will be resolved. In the meantime, the hourly employees continue to await a final decision on their grievances and the fulfillment of their rightful entitlements.
