Kerala High Court Directs State to Release Ciza Thomas’s Pension Within Two Weeks

The bench ruled the government’s actions violated her fundamental rights with no pending proceedings to justify withholding her benefits.

Overview

The Kerala High Court division bench ordered the Pinarayi Vijayan government to disburse Ciza Thomas’s retirement and pensionary benefits within 14 days.
The court condemned the issuance of a show-cause notice on March 30, 2023, a day before her retirement as arbitrary and unjustified.
Thomas retired as vice-chancellor of Kerala Technological University on March 31, 2023, and now serves as vice-chancellor of Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology.
The bench highlighted the absence of any pending departmental or judicial proceedings that could have warranted withholding her pensionary dues.
The dispute traces back to her November 2022 appointment as KTU vice-chancellor by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan in the context of reported tensions with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.