Allahabad High Court Quashes Two-Decade-Old Dismissal of MNNIT Professor

The Allahabad High Court overturned the dismissal of Rajesh Singh, a former MNNIT professor, accused of misconduct nearly two decades ago. The court noted the disproportionality of the punishment compared to the allegations, which mainly involved a consensual relationship and speculative future misconduct, not criminal charges or sexual harassment.

The Allahabad High Court has overturned the dismissal of Rajesh Singh, a professor at Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT), framing his earlier termination as excessively harsh.

Singh was originally dismissed in 2006 following allegations by a former student of emotional and physical harassment. Though the relationship was deemed inappropriate, the court highlighted that it was largely consensual and no criminal charges ensued.

Questions arose over the timeliness and intent of the complaint, with the court suggesting it stemmed from a failed marriage proposal. The court has remanded the matter to reconsider the punishment, citing that the dismissal was based on speculative future misconduct rather than ongoing violations.