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The Kerala High Court on Tuesday (03 November) allowed the appeal preferred by Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit challenging an interim order permitting 16 suspended students to appear for the university examinations commencing on November 4.

The Division Bench comprising Justice Anil K Narendran and Justice Muralee Krishna S. delivered the judgement. 

"There is total lack of pleading in the writ petition regarding the entitlement of the petitioners other than PhD scholars to appear in the examination which was scheduled to commence on 04/11/ 2026 as per the requirements.. Therefore the pleadings do not make out a very strong prima facie case as per the requirements laid down by the Apex Court and the impugned order granted by the learned Single Judge by order dated 30/10/ 2026 is virtually the main relief sought by the petitioner… The said interim order cannot be sustained.." the Court ordered

The appeal was filed against the Single Judge order dated October 30, which directed the University to accept the examination fees and permit the suspended students to appear for the ensuing examinations. 

Background

The students were suspended in connection with a protest conducted on the University campus on August 13, 2026, during a Syndicate meeting. It is alleged that the students staged a mock cremation of the Vice-Chancellor. It is further alleged that the Vice-Chancellor was physically manhandled and that attempts were made to damage her vehicle when she left the office after the meeting. 

FIR's were registered, following the incident and the students were suspended on September 1, 2026 pending disciplinary enquiry.

Event though the committee conducted hearing on September 29 and 30, 2026, and the report was subsequently submitted, the report is not placed before the Syndicate due to certain procedural defects. 

The students approached the High Court by a writ petition aggrieved by the prolonged suspension and their consequent exclusion from the campus without concluding the disciplinary proceedings. An interlocutory application was filed during the pendency of the writ, seeking permission to participate in the examination scheduled to commence on November 4, 2026. 

This application was allowed and was challenged in the present appeal. 

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