HC notice to IIM, HRD ministry on allegations against director

INDORE: Madhya Pradesh High Court today issued notices to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM)- Indore and others on a petition filed by four faculty members against a clean chit given to director N Ravichandran by a committee probing alleged financial irregularities by him.

Justice Prakash Srivastava of the Indore bench today sought replies from the IIM, Ravichandran, Union Human Resources Development Ministry and others within six weeks.

Petitioners' lawyer Vivek Dalal said the next hearing would be in July.

IIM faculty members Keyur Thaker, D L Sunder, P K Singh and S Ray have filed this petition.

Last year, the High Court had asked the HRD Ministry to inquire into the allegations. The inquiry was conducted by a panel including IIM chairman Jagdish Capoor, Salil Bhandari, T Kannan, R C Chugh and K R S Murty, and it gave clean chit to Ravichandran.

However, the petitioners claim that the committee was not an independent body.