Bipin Adhikari, the founding dean of Kathmandu University School of Law, has resigned from his position, with effect from next month, expressing reservation about the working style of the university’s Vice Chancellor Ram Kantha Makaju Shrestha.

This is the second high profile resignation at the university in the last few months.

Bhola Thapa, registrar at the university, had resigned in September last year, accusing Shrestha of running the varsity unilaterally. He had also blamed the vice-chancellor for flouting the existing rules mainly in handling the financial activities.

Adhikari, who is a noted constitutional expert, was appointed in 2013 to establish School of Law at Dhulikhel as the seventh school at the university. Sources at the university say he resorted to resignation as Shrestha did not improve his working style.

The university executive council, which has representation of the office-bearers, some deans and the faculty members, is the authentic body to take the decision related to the varsity.

However, Shrestha had been imposing his own decision, according to the sources. “The VC has a tendency to work the way he likes without listening others,” said a senior official at the university, seeking anonymity as disclosing identity fearing retribution from the university administration.

He claimed that the terms of two former deans Mahesh Banskota at School of Arts and Subash KC at School of Management too were not extended as they often raised question over Shrestha’s working style. “He is trying to centralise the power by removing those who raise voice against him,” he said.

The officials close to Shrestha, however, deny the claim. Deepak Dahal, manager at School of Medicine at the university who is a close aide to the vice-chancellor, said Adhikari resigned as he was busy with other ‘stuffs’ outside the university. “The claim that VC sir works unilaterally is not true. Some people are just trying to defame him,” Dahal told the Post.

The statement issued by Thapa after the resignation, said Shrestha, allowed other officials to run the account of the university though the KU regulation restricts the authority to the VC and registrar.

Similarly he blamed the VC for putting the resources only to the School of Medicine, where he had been a dean for years, and neglecting other faculties. “Decisions are not made, they are imposed in the university,” reads one of the point in his statement.