Alleging that a private college denied him permission to write his exams as he had not paid the pending Rs 7,000 in fees, a 22-year-old student, Vaseem Ahamad of Pudumanai in Ambur, submitted a petition with District Collector K Sivasoundaravalli on Monday, April 28.

Ahamad, who is pursuing a Diploma in Operation Theatre Technology, told The New Indian Express that he had already paid Rs 18,000 out of the total Rs 25,000 annual course fee, with only Rs 7,000 outstanding.

“I informed the college that I would pay the remaining amount by May 15. However, they did not allow me to appear for the exam on April 25, when the exams began, or today for another exam. After being denied entry today, I came directly to the collector’s office to submit my petition,” he said.

He further explained that his mother, S Hamida, is undergoing treatment for heart valve blockages at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai, which has strained the family's finances.

“My father, T Shahinshah, is an auto driver earning around Rs 20,000 a month. I also have four siblings. To support my education, I have been working part-time at a grocery shop for the past month, earning about Rs 100 a day after college hours,” he said, and claimed that seven other students also faced similar issues due to unpaid fees.

Responding to the allegation, the college principal told The New Indian Express, “We usually check if students have cleared their fees before exams. Ahamad said he would bring the fee amount from home but instead went to the collector’s office. He did not inform us about the financial difficulties due to his mother’s health. Three months ago, when he requested leave for his mother's hospital admission, we granted it. Besides, we regularly help students with financial struggles to write exams.”