The manner in which it was done raised quite a few eyebrows: Kapadia had called on Education Minister Anandiben Patel and Education Secretary Ram Bhadran in Gandhinagar on Monday when the two asked him to resign. But even before he could fax his resignation letter, the suspension order was handed over to him at his residence at 7.30 this morning.

Signed by Deputy Secretary D C Vora, the suspension order said he was being asked by the Governor -- the chancellor of the university -- to resign from office according to Section 10(6) of the South Gujarat University Act 1965.

The letter stated that his degrees from the Sri Lankan University were questionable. Incidentally, these degrees had played their part when Kapadia was elevated to the vice-chancellorship of the university, as well as when he was appointed a paper-setter and examiner.

Kapadia has also been accused of using his office to exonerate his daughter Krishna Kapadia -- who was found to have plagiarised her dissertation from a former student -- not convening regular meetings of the Syndicate and misusing powers conferred on him under Section 11(4) of the SGU Act. All these charges were listed in a memorandum submitted by Syndicate member Hoshang Mirza to then Governor Krishan Pal Singh.

Simultaneously, a series of cases were filed against the vice-chancellor in Gujarat High Court. Hearings were to begin on August 19.

Talking to Express Newsline, Kapadia claimed he had not had time to resign though he had wanted to. The state government, apparently unwilling to take any chances, filed a caveat in Surat Civil court, lest Kapadia moved court seeking a stay against his suspension.

The suspension order dated August 11 came exactly a year after Kapadia, then lecturer of English in Bharuch's M K College of Commerce, was asked by the state government to take over as vice-chancellor after B A Parikh's term came to an end.

However, his installation was delayed by three days as he faced his first court battle even before assuming office. However, the Gujarat High Court dismissed the public interest petition three days later, enabling him to take charge on August 14.

The indication that Kapadia was counting his days in office had come last week during the visit of Governor Anshuman Singh, who did not even bother to grant an audience to the vice-chancellor, though he met many others, including representatives of industrial houses.

Express Newsline that he had delayed faxing his resignation letter as he wanted to chair Tuesday's important Syndicate meeting and end the fast-unto-death of an MSc (Chemistry) evening student.

Kapadia claimed he had drafted the resignation letter last evening and had asked registrar V B Yadav to fax it early morning.

Four Syndicate members -- H H Patel, Sunil Modi, K R Desai and R C Shukla -- four government nominees on the Syndicate and eight Senate members were also planning to resign with the vice-chancellor on Monday evening as a gesture of solidarity. However, they did not resign.