Kerala HC Stays VC’s Refund Order in MG University Cockroach Poster Row
07 August 2026 | OnManorama
The row over cockroach-themed posters at Mahatma Gandhi University escalated on Friday after the Kerala High Court stayed an order issued by the University's Vice-Chancellor directing the student union to refund ₹2.81 lakh released for organising a national conference. The University had objected to the publicity posters, alleging that they carried political overtones.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas stayed the Vice-Chancellor's order, observing that it appeared to be arbitrary. The court also sought responses from the University, its Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, and the Director of the University's Directorate of Students' Welfare (DSW).
The student union contended that neither the Mahatma Gandhi University Act nor the Students' Code of Conduct Rules empowered the Vice-Chancellor to recover an advance that had already been sanctioned and released for an approved university programme. It further argued that the August 1 order was arbitrary, violated the principles of natural justice, and infringed upon the union's right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.