HP High Court orders compensation and admission to petitioner in MBBS admission case
Shimla, July 14
The High Court of Himachal Pradesh has made a significant ruling regarding the denial of admission to MBBS course seats which went vacant due to the forgery of NEET mark sheets by two students. In response to a petition filed by Sanjna Thakur, the Court has ordered the National Medical Commission and Atal Medical and Research University to pay a compensation of two lakhs each to the petitioner within four weeks. A Division Bench, comprising the Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao and Justice Ajay Mohan Goel, passed this order and directed that the compensation is intended to compensate for the loss of one full academic year.
The background of the case revolves around two students who secured admission to PTJLN Government Medical College in Chamba and IGMC Shimla by submitting forged NEET mark sheets. However, their admission was subsequently cancelled when it was discovered that the documents they had provided did not match the information available on the National Medical Counsel Portal.
Consequently, two seats in the Undergraduate MBBS course remained vacant at IGMC Shimla and PTJLN Government Medical College in Chamba. The Registrar of Atal Medical and Research University wrote to the National Medical Commission on January 17, 2023, requesting permission and guidance on filling these vacant seats promptly.
The petitioner, Sanjna Thakur, contended that as the next-ranked candidate in the General Category, she should be given the vacant seat at PTJLN Government Medical College in Chamba. After complaining to various authorities, including the Chief Minister of H.P., the petitioner filed the instant writ petition on 28.01.2023.
The Court expressed its dismay at the negligent and indifferent attitude of the respondents, who failed to respond to matters related to MBBS admissions, despite the academic session commencing in November 2022. Recognizing the petitioner’s merit and acknowledging her proactive pursuit of legal remedies without delay, the Court held that she was entitled to admission in the General Category MBBS seat at PTJLN Government Medical College in Chamba for the Academic Year 2023-2024.
Furthermore, the Court directed the respondents to increase the number of seats allotted to PTJLN Government Medical College by one seat for the aforementioned academic year. Additionally, the respondents were ordered to pay a compensation of two lakhs each to the petitioner, along with bearing the cost of ten thousand rupees each as legal expenses.
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