Court dismisses law student’s plea

The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed an application by a student of the Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College here challenging an order of suspension against him in connection with the violence on the college premises on November 12 last year.

He had sought a consequent direction to allow him to pay the fees for the sixth semester, attend the classes and continue his education.

In his order, Justice M. Jaichandren said the Principal of the college had an onerous duty cast on him to maintain discipline among students. As such he was vested with inherent powers, including one to prevent delinquent students from attending classes, by issuing a suspension order. “No educational institution can be run in a disciplined manner without such powers being exercised by the authorities, who are in the management of such institutions.”

A high level of discipline was to be maintained in educational institutions, Mr. Justice Jaichandren observed.

In his petition, S. Ashok Kumar submitted that he had completed his V semester in September last year.

On the day of the clash, he did not go to college as he did not have any examination on that date. Video recordings and photographs would clearly show that he was not present when the incident took place.

Justice Jaichandren said videos and photographs could not be taken as the only complete and final evidence relating to the incident. Investigation was on. It would be premature for the court to hold that the petitioner was not connected to the incident. There was no merit in the petition, the Judge held.