The July 13 The Telegraph report on Gerry Arathoon’s suspension

The suspended secretary and chief executive of the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations, Gerry Arathoon, has apologised for the mistake of promoting books written by his wife without the council’s consent.

Sources said Arathoon in his reply to the chargesheet slapped on him had said his act — not obtaining the council’s permission — was “unintentional” and he would not make such a mistake again.

Arathoon’s reply was placed before the executive committee of the council, which conducts the ICSE (Class X) and ISC (Class XII) exams, last week, sources said.

“After discussing the content of Arathoon’s letter, the executive committee has referred it to the council’s disciplinary authority — the chairman of the council,” said a council official.

Sources said the chairman, Father Jose Aikara, would decide whether Arathoon would be punished or let off with a reprimand and allowed to continue as council secretary. Once the chairman recommends a course of action, the executive committee will meet again for a final decision.

“Going by the rules of the council, the chairman will have to examine Arathoon’s reply point by point to decide whether his explanations are acceptable or not. The chairman can scrutinise Arathoon’s explanations on his own or can appoint an inquiry panel for the job.... The secretary will continue to be suspended till further notice,” the official said.

The chargesheet was slapped on Arathoon in July on the charge of promoting two guidebooks for ICSE students of classes IX and X — The Merchant of Venice-Text with Paraphrase and The Merchant of Venice Workbook — written by his wife Anita.

An official said Anita had written in the preface that the books had been prepared in tune with the pattern of questions set by the council. “The statement was objectionable as the author’s husband headed the council running the ICSE course at that time,” said an official.

The books were published last year but the matter came to the council’s notice in May, after which Arathoon was showcaused. He was issued a chargesheet later as the council found his reply to the showcause notice unsatisfactory.

A source close to the executive committee said some among the five members had “strongly” urged the chairman to refrain from taking a “tough” action — such as dismissal — against Arathoon as he had already admitted his fault.

On the other hand, a number of members of the council are demanding that Arathoon be sacked. Some council sources cited a precedence of a secretary-cum-chief executive being dismissed on a similar charge.

A decade ago, then chief executive Francis Fanthome had been suspended and later dismissed for promoting books authored by him without the council’s nod.