Allahabad High Court Orders Reinstatement of Gautam Buddha University Staff Officer, Terms Her Termination “Vindictive”
By Rajesh Pandey
In a strong rebuke to Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, the Allahabad High Court has ordered the reinstatement of Smt. Meena Singh, who served as the private secretary to the Vice-Chancellor and was repeatedly terminated after she lodged a sexual harassment complaint against the University’s Registrar.
The High Court’s judgment, delivered by Justice Manju Rani Chauhan on September 16, 2025, quashed the latest termination order dated December 14, 2024, and directed the university to immediately restore Meena Singh to her post.
The court also made scathing observations on the conduct of the University and its Registrar, calling the repeated dismissals of the petitioner an “unnecessary harassment” that reflected a vindictive and premeditated approach.
Complaint Leads to Harassment Instead of Justice
The controversy began when Meena Singh accused the Registrar of sexual harassment. Instead of ensuring a fair inquiry and protecting the complainant, the University shockingly terminated her services.
When she challenged the dismissal before the High Court, her termination was set aside, and the case was remanded for fresh consideration.
However, the harassment did not end there. According to court records, Meena Singh was terminated four times in succession, with the University citing one pretext after another.
The court noted that this relentless targeting began only after she dared to complain to the Registrar, who, notably, continues to remain in service.
Justice Chauhan remarked with surprise: It is a clear case of unnecessary harassment of the petitioner, as all proceedings against her were initiated only after she complained to the Registrar.
This sequence of events unmistakably reflects the conduct of the Registrar, who continued in service with the University, whereas the petitioner has been removed from employment.”
Court Finds Malice, Abuse of Power
The High Court observed that there was no legitimate ground to justify her dismissal. One of the allegations against Meena Singh was that she relied on a fake PhD degree while being considered for the post.
The Court dismissed this argument outright, noting that no guideline required preference to higher degree holders, and therefore, there was no occasion for her to use such a degree to secure her job.
In strong words, the Court said: The initiation of proceedings against the petitioner on such untenable grounds reflects a clear abuse of process and smacks of mala fides.
The manner in which the petitioner has been proceeded against, despite the absence of any legal or factual basis, indicates that the action was not guided by bona fide considerations but was motivated by extraneous reasons with the sole object of victimising the petitioner.”
The Court described the University’s conduct as an arbitrary exercise of power that could not be allowed in a system governed by law.
Relief Granted to the Petitioner
Quashing the termination order of December 14, 2024, the Court has now directed the Registrar and the Gautam Buddha University authorities to allow Meena Singh to continue functioning as the staff officer to the Vice-Chancellor without further obstruction.
This judgment is being viewed as a significant step in reinforcing the principle that victims of workplace harassment must not be further victimised through administrative misuse of power. It also highlights how institutions sometimes fail in their duty of fairness, but the courts step in to correct such injustices.
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