1. Heard.

2. RULE. Rule made returnable forthwith. Heard finally by consent of the learned counsel for the parties.

3. The order dated 21/02/2024 issued by the respondent No.2-Hon'ble Chancellor suspending the petitioner as Vice Chancellor of Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur is under challenge in this writ petition.

The brief facts of the present case are as under:

4. The petitioner was appointed as Vice-Chancellor of the Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur (hereinafter referred to as 'Nagpur University') under Section 11 of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act of 2016') vide appointment order dated 08/08/2020 issued by the respondent No.2.

5. The State of Maharashtra, on receipt of certain complaints against the petitioner's office, initiated an enquiry by appointing an Enquiry Committee consisting of the Deputy Secretary, Department of Higher and Technical Education and the Joint Director, Higher Education, Nagpur Division, Nagpur.

6. Then, the report of the enquiry was served upon the petitioner with covering letter dated 17/10/2022 seeking compliance of the alleged irregularities stated in it, within one month.

7. Thereupon, a compliance report was submitted along with covering letter dated 27/12/2022, by the petitioner to the Government.

8. Thereafter, the respondent No.2 issued a show cause notice to the petitioner, thereby calling him to tender his explanation