New Delhi:
The Delhi High Court today rapped St Stephen's College Principal Valson Thampu during the hearing of a plea by an administrative officer who has alleged that he was being made to work under "deplorable" condition in a store room infested with termites and lizards.
Justice Suresh Kait asked Mr Thampu's counsel, "Why can't the Principal behave himself" and "why he is acting like this", as he heard of the plea by Subha Kumar Dash, who has sought contempt proceedings against Mr Thampu.
The court also remarked that the Principal's actions were leading to adverse publicity.
Mr Thampu had suspended Mr Dash last year on charges of engaging in "gross misconduct", after which the administrative officer had moved court accusing him of forcing him to convert to Christianity.
However, Mr Dash rejoined the college on April 21 after a settlement order was passed by a division bench of the High Court.
Advocate Sunil Mathews, appearing for Mr Dash, alleged that despite the court's order, his client was made to work out of a store room which was used for storing hundreds of laptops, unalloted to students.
Mr Thampu's counsel Romy Chacko opposed Mr Dash's contentions and said the principal was a victim of a "malicious campaign by powerful vested interests", who were targeting him.
Later, the court went on to question Mr Thampu's lawyer as to why the Principal was treating Mr Dash like this and why he was making the officer to work out of a store room without basic amenities like a water cooler.
Mr Thampu's counsel, thereafter, sought time from the judge to seek instructions on the issue.
The court has posted the matter for July 7 and asked the parties to explore possibilities of a settlement in order to solve the problem.