The Madras high court on Wednesday set aside the order of the Union Culture Ministry allowing Leela Samson to withdraw her resignation of April 30 and letting her rejoin as director of Kalakshetra Foundation here.
Allowing a petition from 16 Kalakshetra gurus, including assistant professor of music Sai Sankar and violin guru Pakala Ramadas, challenging the ministry’s order, Justice S. Nagamuthu said a person who has resigned from the post of director could only be reappointed but the resignation cannot be withdrawn.
“I have no hesitation to hold that the impugned order is not sustainable,” the judge said, citing several HC and SC judgments to substantiate it.
Justice Nagamuthu pointed out that Kalakshetra was a body corporate and said it was a juristic post with legal status like a company governed by the Companies Act.
Once the resignation of a director was tendered and received, there was no provision under the Kalakshetra Foundation Act to accept withdrawal of resignation.
Leela Samson was first appointed Kalakshetra director in February 2005. Former employees filed a PIL challenging her continuance even after the retirement age of 60 in May 2011.
Besides, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India found some irregularities in the administration. With opposition mounting, Leela sent her resignation to the Culture Ministry on April 30 and it was immediately accepted.
Strangely, the Ministry wrote to Leela on June 29 saying that her request for withdrawing the resignation was accepted. Leela took charge the same evening.
While a section of the Kalakshetra board, mostly her friends, welcomed Leela’s return, a majority among the faculty opposed it and 16 of them petitioned the high court.
“We are really happy. This is a very good judgement against the Ministry’s decision to allow her (Leela) to return despite so many charges against her administration”, said the petitioners’ lawyer Ms R.T. Shyamala, adding, “We will now fight for justice regarding the serious faults pointed out by the C&AG report”.
Sources said Leela Samson is away in the US conducting workshops.