On Saturday, the court dismissed a petition challenging the appointment of Dr. Naima Khatoon as the Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

The petition was filed by Prof. Mujahid Beg, who alleged irregularities in the selection process, claiming the procedure was manipulated to favour a specific candidate. He specifically pointed to the involvement of Mohammad Gulrez—who served as the acting Vice-Chancellor at the time and is Khatoon’s husband—alleging that he presided over the selection process despite his wife being in the fray.

The case was heard by a bench comprising Justices Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Donadi Ramesh, who had reserved their verdict on April 9 after hearing arguments from counsels representing the petitioner, AMU, and the central government.

Dr. Naima Khatoon’s appointment last year marked a historic moment for the university, as she became the first woman to assume the role of Vice-Chancellor in its more than 100-year history.

An alumna of AMU, Khatoon earned her PhD in psychology from the university. She began her academic career there as a lecturer in 1988, was promoted to professor in 2006, and later appointed principal of the Women’s College in 2014.