Telangana HC seeks NIT's decision by Jan 27 on the plea filed by student suspended for consuming pot on campus

A division bench of Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the National Institute of Technology (NIT) at Warangal to convene the senate meeting on Jan 24 and to decide on appeal filed by the petitioner student who was suspended from the institute for consuming Ganja on campus, and to inform its decision to the court on Jan 27. "A sense of mercy required while dealing with issues concerning children's future. Students lives may not be put to hardship. There is no need to have any ego or anger for the authorities if any of the students approach the court for relief," the bench observed.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A Abhishek Reddy was passing this order in the appeal filed by the first year B Tech student seeking direction to the NIT authorities to permit him to attend classes and write examinations for the academic year 2019-20.

On Tuesday, the petitioner's counsel told the court that his client was not allowed to attend the classes or write the first-semester examination. The authorities of the institute were imposing harsh punishments ignoring the fact that they are dealing with the young lives. He said that the punishment was imposed without affording an opportunity to the student and also without taking the overall circumstances into consideration. On the other hand, NIT standing counsel T Mahender Rao submitted that the institute has so far suspended about 33 students for their indiscipline and any lenient view will render the college helpless in dealing with unruly students. After hearing both sides, the bench directed the vice-chancellor of NIT to inform his decision on the next day whether he is willing to allow the petitioner student to attend classes and write examination (semester II) commencing from Jan 22 onwards.

When the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday, the standing counsel for NIT informed the court that the final decision on the student concerned would be taken by the Senate and not by the VC. In fact, only those students who have 80 per cent attendance will be allowed to write the examination. There is no scope to allow suspended students. If the students who are addicted to drugs are allowed then it will have a serious impact on other students as well. Even when the appeal was pending before the senate the petitioner has approached the high court, he pointed out and said that if the petitioner student is permitted to attend classes then the remaining 33 students will also approach the court.

Not satisfied with the submissions of the NIT counsel, the bench said that nobody can stop any person from approaching the court seeking for principles of natural justice. There is a need to show a sense of mercy while dealing with cases involving children's future. It appears that the authorities are angry with the student for approaching the court, the bench said.

The bench then passed the above order directing the Senate to decide the student's appeal on Jan 24 and to inform the same to the court on Jan 27, and adjourned the case hearing.