Gujarat High Court: In a special civil application by a student of the Gujarat National Law University challenging his suspension from the Residence Hall and Registrar’s direction to vacate the hostel accommodation, Aniruddha P. Mayee, J. while issuing notice, stayed the impugned communication/notice dated 20-09-2024 with immediate effect. The Court directed the University to reinstate the petitioner to his allotted room with immediate effect on the receipt of the order.
The petitioner-student initiated an Anti-Ragging Complaint with the UGC in September 2023. An inquiry was conducted and concluded with the direction that the respondent in the Anti-Ragging Complaint should apologise to the present petitioner student. The petitioner submitted that the said order was not complied with and therefore, he made a communication to the UGC on the E-Samadhan portal. Pursuant to that, the UGC wrote to the Registrar of the University to look into the matter and to take necessary actions as soon as possible and inform the petitioner directly.
The Student Disciplinary Committee by communication dated 11-09-2024 issued a notice to the petitioner to appear in person before the Committee on 13-9-2024 with respect to an incident of misconduct which allegedly took place on 05-7-2024. The petitioner herein immediately replied on the same day to the Committee that he had continuous evaluation tests for different subjects on 13-9-2024, 17-9-2024 and thereafter on 20-9-2024, hence, sought time for the same along with clarification as to whether in the 1st meeting, he shall be given a copy of the complaint of misconduct against him for investigation/interrogation purpose. On 14-9-2024, the petitioner communicated that he had tried to meet the committee after test hours on 13-9-2024, but the authority concerned had refused to meet him and therefore sought another date.
The petitioner’s case was that on 20-9-2024, he received notice from the Registrar of the University that pending the Student Disciplinary Committee Inquiry due to non-cooperation of the petitioner, his suspension from the Halls of Residence with immediate effect was recommended and therefore, he was suspension from the Halls of Residence with immediate effect and directed to vacate hostel accommodation within 24 hours till further orders. The petitioner submitted that pursuant to the said communication by the Registrar, he vacated the hostel on 21-9-2024.
[Gaurav Meena v. Gujarat National Law University, 2024 SCC OnLine Guj 3782, decided on: 09-10-2024]
Advocates who appeared in this case:
For the petitioner: Party-in-person
