Bombay High Court Denies Relief to Suspended TISS Dalit PhD Student
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday rejected a petition by Ramadas K S, a Dalit PhD student suspended from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) for alleged misconduct and anti-national activities. The court upheld the institute’s decision to suspend him for two years.
A division bench comprising Justices A S Chandurkar and M M Sathaye dismissed Ramadas’ plea challenging the suspension order issued by TISS in April 2024. The court stated, "The order suspending the petitioner (Ramadas) does not suffer from any illegality or perversity. We find that this is not a fit case to intervene. There is no merit in the petition, and it is dismissed."
Ramadas was suspended after being accused of participating in a protest march in New Delhi against the central government’s "anti-student policies." He was also accused of urging people to watch the documentary "Ram Ke Naam" during the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony.
The court observed that the protest march Ramadas joined was "clearly politically motivated." It noted that the institute had rightly concluded that Ramadas created an impression among the public that the politically motivated protest and his views were endorsed by TISS. The court emphasized that Ramadas had participated in the protest under the banner of TISS’ student organization, which had brought disrepute to the institute.
The bench clarified that while Ramadas is entitled to his political views, the institute also has the right to object to such views being expressed under its banner. "The petitioner has full freedom to express his political views, but doing so under the name of the respondent institute is what the institute objects to," the court said.
In his plea, Ramadas claimed that his suspension was unlawful, arbitrary, and unfair, and that the stoppage of his scholarship had caused him significant hardship. He also expressed concerns about not receiving an independent hearing if he appealed the suspension order before the institute’s internal committee.
TISS opposed the plea, arguing that Ramadas had an alternate remedy available and could challenge the suspension order before the institute’s committee.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Stay updated with the latest news and stories by visiting our trusted sources ZTC News and Z News Today. Explore in-depth articles, breaking updates, and more to keep yourself informed!