A division bench of Patna High Court on Friday set aside an earlier order passed by a single bench quashing the appointment of 12 principals in colleges affiliated to Magadh University, Bodhgaya.

On December 10 last year, a single bench of Justice A.K. Tripathi had quashed the appointments on ground of large-scale irregularities. All the 12 principals who had to relinquish their post later filed a Letters Patent Appeal (LPA) before a division bench of the high court seeking quashing of the single bench order.

Friday's order was passed by the division bench of Acting Chief Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari and Justice Jyoti Saran. With the setting aside of the earlier order by the division bench, the sacked principals will be reinstated.

"Whatever has been the order of the high court, the same will be complied with. All the 12 principals will be reinstated," Magadh University vice-chancellor Mohammad Ishtiaq told The Telegraph.

As per complaints received by the then chancellor's (governor's) office challenging the validity of the appointments in 2013, irregularities including backdating, nomination of experts from outside the approved list of the academic council, and violation of the reservation roster were committed in the highly secretive selection process. The appointment process was also challenged on the ground that the government nominee did not participate in the selection process, thereby strengthening the suspicion of foul play in the appointments.

Then governor D.Y. Patil had ordered an inquiry into the appointment process on the recommendation of the state government. He had drafted a committee, headed by retired bureaucrat B.B. Lal, to conduct an inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the appointment process. The inquiry committee in its report had confirmed malpractices in the appointment of 12 principals and had also identified perpetrators of the appointment scam.

On April 8 last year, the high court had ordered a vigilance probe into the appointment of 12 principals. The vigilance submitted its report to the court on May 19, 2015. The report had flagged irregularities in the selection process.

In June last year, the vigilance bureau had even arrested the then vice-chancellor, Arun Kumar, over the alleged irregularities in the appointment process.