New Delhi, Mar 5 (IANS): The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a petition challenging the appointment of Najma Akhtar as the Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia.

Justice V. Kameswar Rao junked the plea filed by Jamia alumnus M. Ehtesham-ul-Haque against the appointment of Akhtar. The petitioner had contended that the appointment was made through a tainted process and the recommendation by the search committee was irregular and illegal.

The court noted that Akhtar's appointment is justified and that the court could not sit on an appeal over a decision taken by a search committee.

"The scope is limited to judicial review of the decision whereby the court is only concerned with whether the incumbent possessed qualifications for appointment and the manner in which the appointment came to be made or whether the procedure adopted was fair, just and reasonable," the order stated.

The petitioner said that the appointment of Akhtar was done through a tainted process and her consideration and recommendation by the purported search committee "subject to vigilance clearance" was in itself irregular and illegal and vitiates the entire process.

Ehtesham-ul-Haque said that Akhtar's appointment was a flagrant violation, contravention and total non-compliance of the statutory provisions and regulations of the Jamia Millia Islamia Act, 1988 read with the UGC Regulations, 2010 as amended from time to time, and thus it was illegal and arbitrary.

Akhtar was represented by ASG Vikramjit Banerjee with standing counsel Fuzail Ayyubi, while senior advocate Akhil Sibal appeared for the petitioner.