Eastern University senior lecturer interdicted

Eastern University Senior Lecturer in a fundamental rights violation petition to the Supreme Court has complained the Vice Chancellor had interdicted him on charges of having engaged in trade union action.

Petitioner Kandasamy Sathiyasegar, a member of the Eastern University Teachers’ Association (TAEU) which is affiliated to the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) in his complaint said he had also been asked to vacate the university staff quarters immediately.

Mr. Sathiyasegar in his petition filed through Mohan Balendra cited the Eastern University, its Vice Chancellor K. Kobindarajah, the Attorney General and 21 others as respondents.

He said Ms. N.R. Fernando had informed the TAEU that she was resigning from the association as the Vice Chancellor was refusing to approve documents relating to her ap- plication for l eave to travel overseas including scholarship programmes for post graduate study.

Mr. Sathiyasegar said he phoned the Vice Chancellor to discuss this matter but he said he was at a meeting and then disconnected the call and later on August 15, the petitioner had received a letter f rom the Vice Chancellor calling for an explanation for the petitioner’s alleged rude behaviour when speaking to him over the phone.

The petitioner said he promptly submitted his explanation in which he denied the allegation that he was under influence of alcohol and said he was neither rude nor discourteous when speaking to the Vice Chancellor. But subsequently Mr. Sathiyasegar had received a letter signed by the Vice Chancellor stating that the University Council had decided to interdict him with immediate effect and asked him to vacate the staff quarters. Mr. Sathiyasegar is seeking a declaration from Court that his fundamental rights to equality and equal protection of the law as well as his right to the f reedom to form and join a trade union as well as the freedom to engage in a lawful profession have been infringed by the respondents.

Denied the allegation that he was under influence of alcohol and said he was neither rude nor discourteous when speaking to the Vice Chancellor