Published Nov 03, 2026 | 4:43 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 03, 2026 | 4:43 PM
Kerala High Court
Synopsis: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday set aside an interim order allowing 16 suspended students of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit to appear for examinations beginning on 4 November. The students were suspended for their alleged role in an 13 August protest during a Syndicate meeting, in which they were accused of staging a mock cremation of Vice-Chancellor Dr Ciza Thomas, manhandling her and attempting to damage her vehicle.
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday, 3 November, barred 16 students suspended by Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit for allegedly staging a mock funeral of the Vice-Chancellor from appearing for the university examinations scheduled to begin on 4 November, setting aside an interim order that had permitted them to write the examinations.
Tuesday marked the 65th day of their suspension, imposed following a protest on the university campus on 13 August during a Syndicate meeting. Ten of the 16 suspended students were preparing to write the examinations.
SSUS protest
A Division Bench comprising Justice Anil K Narendran and Justice Muralee Krishna S allowed an appeal filed by the university against the 30 October order of a single judge.
The single judge had directed the university to accept examination fees from the students and allow them to appear for the examinations.
Apart from allegedly staging a mock cremation of Vice-Chancellor Dr Ciza Thomas, the students have been accused of physically manhandling her and attempting to damage her vehicle.
Thomas said the protesters prevented her and members of the Syndicate from leaving the campus after the meeting.
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) university unit denied that its members had staged a mock funeral of the Vice-Chancellor.
It said students from the Department of Theatre had placed floral tributes on damaged lighting equipment as part of their protest against the shortage of facilities and poor infrastructure.
The university’s Syndicate had offered to revoke the suspension of 12 of the 16 students if they submitted written apologies. The students refused the condition, with SFI activists vowing to continue the agitation and challenge the university’s decision.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
