The Kerala High Court on June 27, 2025, took suo motu cognizance and ordered the registration of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to examine whether Dr. V. A. Arun Kumar, son of former Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan, secured the post of Director at the Institute of Human Resources Development (IHRD) owing to political influence.
The IHRD, a state-run autonomous institution established in 1987, oversees 87 educational centers, including engineering colleges under APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University. The matter arose during a hearing on a writ petition filed by Dr. Vinu Thomas, the Dean (Academic) and in-charge Dean (Research) at the Technological University, who challenged actions taken by IHRD following disciplinary proceedings against him.
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The Court questioned whether Dr. Arun Kumar held the required qualifications for the Director's position, highlighting the absence of any teaching experience, despite the role being equivalent to that of a university Vice Chancellor.
“This Court finds it strange that a 'clerk' got 'promotion' because of his political influence and now he is holding the charge of such a prestigious institution (IHRD) as Director,”
observed Justice D. K. Singh.
Dr. Arun Kumar was initially appointed as a clerk at IHRD and reportedly never engaged in teaching. The Court expressed concern that such an appointment contradicts the UGC norms requiring at least seven years of experience as a Professor for a Vice Chancellor-level position.
"Whether the present Director-in-Charge is entitled to hold the post of Director of IHRD is to be looked into by the learned Division Bench...as he is said to be the son of the erstwhile Chief Minister of the State,"
the Court noted while directing the registry to list the matter as a suo motu PIL.
The controversy gained further traction when Dr. Vinu Thomas was issued a charge memo over alleged financial misappropriation during his tenure as Principal-in-Charge of Model Engineering College, Thrikkakara. The internal audit pointed out irregularities including suspicious purchases, procedural lapses, unauthorized sanctions, and suspected forgeries during the COVID-19 lockdown period.
To prepare his defense, Dr. Vinu Thomas requested digital access to the audit report. However, the IHRD Director denied him access, leading to legal proceedings. The Single Judge had earlier ruled in favor of Dr. Vinu, but a Division Bench overturned that decision. In the present petition, the High Court emphasized the importance of natural justice.
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"The conduct of the respondents not allowing the petitioner to take digital copy of the relied-on documents is totally against the law and in violation of the principles of natural justice."
The Court stated that unless incriminating material is disclosed, the employee cannot defend themselves effectively. It described the Director-in-Charge’s refusal to grant access as vindictive and raised doubts about his qualifications.
In conclusion, the High Court not only directed the institution to allow Dr. Vinu to take digital copies of necessary documents but also ordered the registration of a suo motu PIL titled Dr. Vinu Thomas v. Dr. V. A. Arun Kumar, to scrutinize the validity and fairness of Dr. Arun Kumar's appointment.
Counsel for the Petitioners: Advocates Babu Joseph Kuruvathazha, Archana K. S., Mohammed Shafi K., Noel Elias
Counsel for the Respondents: Adv. M. Rajagopalan Nair
Case No: WP(C) 3291 of 2025
Case Title: Dr. Vinu Thomas v State of Kerala and Others
