Prem Chand Jain, J. - (1.) KIRAN Kumar Puri has filed this petition under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India praying for the issuance of a writ of certiorari quashing the order of the Standing Committee disqualifying the Petitioner for a period of two years, i.e., 1968 and 1969 (four sessions) under Regulation 20 of the Punjab University Calender, 1967, Volume I, page 111, dated 30th October, 1968 (Annexure 'C').
(2.) IT is alleged that the Petitioner was a candidate of B.A. Part I Examination held in April, 1968 at Randhir College, Kapurthala, and his Roll Number was 4026. He appeared in the examination of Mathematics Paper 'B' on 9th May, 1968, and his next examination for Chemistry 'B' was to take place on 18th May, 1968. It is further averred that on 15th May, 1968, some students assembled outside the examination hall at 11.30 a.m. and raised slogans and threw stones at the examination hall. The police intervened and removed those students. On 16th May, 1968, a report of the incident was sent by Shri S.D. Chakravarty, Superintendent of the examination centre, to the University, giving details of the incident and naming the Petitioner alone as one of the persons who were involved in the demonstration. The Petitioner was summoned by the University to answer a questionnaire in which he took the plea that he had nothing to do with the alleged demonstration and was away to Chandigarh. In support of his version two witnesses, Sarvshri, J.R. Verma and Deep Khullar, were examined in defence and a certificate of illness from Dr. Narinjan Singh, M.B.,B.S., Ex -Assistant Director of Health Services, Punjab (now practising as Private Medical Practitioner in Sector 8, Chandigarh) was also produced. After the close of the Petitioner's evidence, the Standing Committee recorded the statement of the Superintendent and thereafter the Petitioner was disqualified for a period of two years under Regulation 20 of the Panjab University Calendar, 1967, Volume I. It is this order of the Standing Committee, Annexure 'C' which has been challenged by way of this petition as illegal, void and contrary to the principles of natural justice.
(3.) IN the return filed by Shri Sujan Singh, Registrar, Panjab University, Chandigarh, material allegations made in the petition have been controverted. Shri Sahdev Chakravarti, who was the Superintendent at the examination centre, has also filed an affidavit controverting the allegations made in the petition.;