Kochi: An appeal was moved in the Kerala High Court on Thursday against its single judge's ruling that there was no violation of any statutory provision in the re-appointment of Gopinathan Ravindran as the Vice Chancellor (VC) of Kannur University.

The appeal filed by Dr Premachandran Keezhoth, a member of the varsity's Senate, is listed for hearing on Friday before a bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly.

The petition, filed through advocate Nisha George, seeks setting aside of the single judge decision of December 15 and quashing Ravindran's appointment as VC.

It contended that since Ravindran was already over 60 years old, there was a statutory bar on him being appointed as VC.

Therefore, he could not have been appointed as VC of the varsity by terming it as a "re-appointment", the appeal contends.

The single judge, in his December 15 order, had said that re-appointment was different from appointment and the procedure adopted for the latter need not be followed when re-appointing someone.

The single judge had also held that for re-appointment age criteria would not be applicable.

The case comes in the backdrop of a bitter spat between the Kerala government and Governor Arif Mohammed Khan over appointments in Universities.

The governor charged that the state administration was bending norms to make political appointments in universities.

Khan said the Kerala government was taking political interference beyond a point. He had said he approved the reappointment of the Kannur VC against his better judgment to avoid a collision with the state government. However, the government's move to push its candidate as the VC of Kalady University flouting norms had pushed things beyond tolerable limits. "I cannot keep on doing their bidding, " the governor said.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP have banked on the governor's comment to corner the Pinarayi government on the issue.

(With inputs from PTI)