Return original certificates of discontinued student: HC

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court upheld the order of a single judge, who quashed the order of the Dean, Madras Medical College asking a student to pay Rs 15 lakh after she discontinued a post-graduate course, and also directed the Dean to return her certificates within two weeks.

Arshitha, a student who secured a place for a postgraduate degree in 2019 medical counseling, joined Madras Medical College on May 1, 2019. Two days later, the student citing personal reasons said that she wanted to leave the course and requested return of original certificates.

But, the Dean ordered the student to pay Rs 15 lakh to the college for her discontinuation as per the existing rules. Subsequently, the student moved Madras High Court to quash the order of the Dean. When her petition came up for hearing, the judge ordered that the college can return her original certificates as the last date for admission was May 31, 2019, and she had applied to withdraw from course on May 3, 2019.

Contesting this, the Selection Committee, Directorate of Medical Education and the Dean, Madras Medical College, filed an appeal petition.

When the appeal came up for hearing before acting Chief Justice T Raja and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, the counsel representing the Selection Committee and the Dean contended that the government spends several lakhs of rupees for each student and the government would face revenue loss due to this one vacant seat.

After hearing the arguments, the bench said that since the student had surrendered the seat allocated to her before the last date of admission, the seat can be reserved for the students next to her on the list.

Noting that there must be some ambiguity in the explanatory note regarding the collection of fee, the court said that the order issued by the Dean to pay Rs 15 lakh to get the certificates was invalid and upheld the order of the single judge and dismissed the appeal suit.

The division bench also ordered the MMC Dean to return her certificates within two weeks.