Source: telegraphindia.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n
he high court issued an interim order on Friday restricting the board\n of governors of the La Martiniere schools from taking any decision till\n July 31.
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Justice Arindam Sinha\u2019s order followed petitions by \nfour former acting governors challenging the decision of the two \nex-officio governors to remove them from the board on June 18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\n judge asked the petitioners and the new board to exchange their \naffidavits and their responses to them before the next hearing on July \n31.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The petitioners are Gerry Arathoon, secretary and chief \nexecutive of the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations; \nAnjali Das, principal of United Missionary Girls High School; Suchitra \nGuha, former Tata Steel HR head; and Anil Mukerji, Tollygunge Club CEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They challenged the decision of the two permanent ex-officio \ngovernors \u2014 Reverend Paritosh Canning, the bishop of the Calcutta \ndiocese of the Church of North India, and Swarup Bar, the presbyter of \nSt Andrew\u2019s Church \u2014 to oust them on the ground that it was illegal and \narbitrary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the four had moved court, the new board filed a petition requesting the court to quash the earlier ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\n new board of the two schools comprises Most Reverend Prem Chand Singh, \nmoderator of the synod of the Church of North India in Delhi; Alwan \nMasih, general secretary of the synod; Abir Adhikari, the vicar of <\/p>\n\n\n\n
St Paul\u2019s Cathedral, Calcutta; and Terence Ireland, principal of St James\u2019 School, Calcutta. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The synod is the highest body of the CNI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The petition filed by the board and the ones moved by the former governors came up for hearing on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advocate\n Jay Saha, appearing for the ousted governors, submitted that the two \nex-officio governors had violated rules while removing his clients from \nthe board and pleaded with the court to strike down the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Opposing the prayer, senior advocate Shakti Nath Mukherjee, appearing for the board, submitted that <\/p>\n\n\n\n
the appointment of the four as acting governors was itself illegal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\n axed governors had been inducted into the board by then Calcutta bishop\n Reverend Probal Kanto Dutta, who was also an ex-officio governor of the\n schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRules were not followed by the ex-bishop while \nappointing them as governing body members. So, the new bishop and one of\n the ex-officio governors decided to remove them,\u201d Mukherjee submitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hearing\n both sides, Justice Sinha said the case needed to be heard in detail \nand asked them to exchange affidavits and the responses to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following a request by the four former governors, the judge barred the board from taking any decision till July 31. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have not yet seen the order and so cannot comment,\u201d said Supriyo Dhar, the secretary of the schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\n have complete faith in the legal system. The honorable high court has \ngiven us interim relief and I am sure the law will take its course,\u201d \nsaid Mukerji, one of the four ousted governors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caption: The high \ncourt issued an interim order restricting the board of governors of the \nLa Martiniere schools from taking any decision till July 31.<\/p>\n