American College principal suspended days before retirement amid corruption probe
Madurai: Just two days before his scheduled retirement, Dr M Davamani Christober, principal and secretary of The American College, Madurai, was suspended from service by the directorate of collegiate education, effective May 29.
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The action follows allegations of amassing disproportionate assets, currently under investigation by the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC), Tamil Nadu.
The suspension order, signed by commissioner E Sundaravalli, was served on Friday morning by officials from the regional joint director's office. The timing of the suspension—just ahead of Dr Christober's official retirement on May 31—has stirred discussion within academic and civic circles.
In the wake of his suspension, G Kannabiran, associate professor and head of the economics department, was appointed interim principal. To ensure administrative continuity, the college's governing council held an emergency meeting on Saturday, during which Dr J Paul Jayakar, head of the postgraduate and research department of English, was selected as the new principal.
Dr Christober, who was appointed in Oct 2011, remained in office for over 12 years—far exceeding the standard three-year term.
Sources within the institution allege that this extended tenure, combined with limited oversight, may have enabled financial irregularities now under scrutiny.
In a related development, R Prabahar Vedamanickam, a retired associate professor of the college, filed a petition before the Madras high court in 2025, urging the higher education department and DVAC to initiate an inquiry against Dr Christober and his associates.
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The petition cited allegations of financial mismanagement, misappropriation of funds, and disproportionate asset accumulation.
During court proceedings, the state government informed that a preliminary inquiry was underway and that DVAC had already gathered documents and examined several witnesses. The court subsequently directed DVAC to expedite and complete the investigation without delay.
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