The Bombay High Court on Wednesday refused to provide any relief to a Dalit PhD student suspended from the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) for alleged misconduct and anti-national activities.
A division bench of Justices A S Chandurkar and M M Sathaye dismissed the plea filed by the student, Ramadas K S, against the institute’s April 2024 decision of suspending him for two years.
“The order suspending the petitioner (Ramadas) does not suffer from any illegality or perversity. We find that this is not a fit case to interfere. There is no merit in the petition and the same is dismissed,” the HC said.
Ramadas was accused of participating in a protest march in New Delhi against the central government’s “anti-student policies” and for urging people to watch “Ram Ke Naam” documentary during the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony.
In its order, the court said it was “clear as sunshine that the march (in which Ramadas participated) was politically motivated”.
It said no fault can be found with the decision of the institute’s order that Ramadas created an impression in general public that the politically-motivated protest and views were the views of the institution – TISS.
The court noted that Ramadas had participated in the protest under the banner of TISS’ student organisation.
“This has brought disrepute to the institute in its view,” the HC said.
Ramadas can have any political view of his choice, but so does the institute. The petitioner has full freedom of expressing his political view; but to do so under the banner of the respondent institute is what is objected to by the institute, the court said.
Ramadas, in his plea, said that pursuant to the suspension order, his scholarship had been stopped due to which he was facing difficulties.
He said he was “unlawfully, arbitrarily and unfairly suspended by the institute”.
TISS had opposed the plea stating that Ramadas had an alternate remedy and could appeal against the suspension order before a committee set up within the institute.
Ramadas, however, had said he may not get an independent hearing from the institute.
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