The high court issued an interim order on Friday restricting the board of governors of the La Martiniere schools from taking any decision till July 31.

Justice Arindam Sinha’s order followed petitions by four former acting governors challenging the decision of the two ex-officio governors to remove them from the board on June 18.

The judge asked the petitioners and the new board to exchange their affidavits and their responses to them before the next hearing on July 31.

The petitioners are Gerry Arathoon, secretary and chief executive of the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations; Anjali Das, principal of United Missionary Girls High School; Suchitra Guha, former Tata Steel HR head; and Anil Mukerji, Tollygunge Club CEO.

They challenged the decision of the two permanent ex-officio governors — Reverend Paritosh Canning, the bishop of the Calcutta diocese of the Church of North India, and Swarup Bar, the presbyter of St Andrew’s Church — to oust them on the ground that it was illegal and arbitrary.

After the four had moved court, the new board filed a petition requesting the court to quash the earlier ones.

The new board of the two schools comprises Most Reverend Prem Chand Singh, moderator of the synod of the Church of North India in Delhi; Alwan Masih, general secretary of the synod; Abir Adhikari, the vicar of

St Paul’s Cathedral, Calcutta; and Terence Ireland, principal of St James’ School, Calcutta.

The synod is the highest body of the CNI.

The petition filed by the board and the ones moved by the former governors came up for hearing on Friday.

Advocate Jay Saha, appearing for the ousted governors, submitted that the two ex-officio governors had violated rules while removing his clients from the board and pleaded with the court to strike down the decision.

Opposing the prayer, senior advocate Shakti Nath Mukherjee, appearing for the board, submitted that

the appointment of the four as acting governors was itself illegal.

The axed governors had been inducted into the board by then Calcutta bishop Reverend Probal Kanto Dutta, who was also an ex-officio governor of the schools.

“Rules were not followed by the ex-bishop while appointing them as governing body members. So, the new bishop and one of the ex-officio governors decided to remove them,” Mukherjee submitted.

Hearing both sides, Justice Sinha said the case needed to be heard in detail and asked them to exchange affidavits and the responses to them.

Following a request by the four former governors, the judge barred the board from taking any decision till July 31.

“I have not yet seen the order and so cannot comment,” said Supriyo Dhar, the secretary of the schools.

“I have complete faith in the legal system. The honorable high court has given us interim relief and I am sure the law will take its course,” said Mukerji, one of the four ousted governors.

Caption: The high court issued an interim order restricting the board of governors of the La Martiniere schools from taking any decision till July 31.