Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In an interim order, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court presided by Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah stayed the recovery proceedings against an Indore-based nursing and paramedical college initiated by the state government in relation to the 2013 scholarship scam.
The state government has been directed to immediately de-seal the sealed educational campus within 24 hours, which was sealed for recovery of outstanding amount ascertained as released illegally to the college concerned way back in 2013.
The apex court order has come as a major reprieve to all nursing and paramedical colleges which were aggrieved by the government’s move.
The order came on the special leave petition (SLP) of Devi Ahilya Paramedical and Nursing College which had approached the SC against the orders of division bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court, which had directed for initiating and expediting recovery proceedings against the college that had disbursed scholarships for SC, STs, OBC students in 2013-14.
It was pleaded that without hearing them or giving them a proper opportunity to justify their stand, not only the recovery orders were passed, but the High Court also without giving appropriate opportunity to the petitioners directed for expediting recovery proceedings.
The institutions were sealed, putting the studies and future of several students at risk. Even the state government did not afford any adequate opportunity of hearing the petitioner. The paramedical colleges were represented through advocate Siddharth R Gupta.
Being so aggrieved, the colleges thus approached the Supreme Court assailing the recovery proceedings and the orders of the High Court.
When the state government sought 3-4 weeks to file reply, the counsel for the petitioner Gupta pressed for interim relief and stalling of recovery proceedings as also desealing and opening of the locked Nursing College.
Gupta argued that closing an educational campus catering to more than 500 students is arbitrary and affects the future of a number of students dependent on studies in the institution.
Granting the state time to file reply, the Court stayed further recovery proceedings and restrained the government from taking any coercive actions in pursuance thereof against the petitioner. It also directed for immediate desealing of the sealed campus of the Paramedical College immediately. The next date of the hearing has been scheduled on August 22.
