‘State not bothered about its land’: Allahabad High Court slams officials over encroachment

The Telangana High Court has ruled that a medical college in Hyderabad cannot retain an MBBS graduate's original certificates as security for overdue tuition fees. Justice Juvvadi Sridevi issued the order after a plea was filed by a 27-year-old doctor who claimed the college was withholding his academic credentials. According to the graduate, he had submitted all his certificates, including his SSC marks memo, NEET rank card, transfer certificate, and migration certificate, when he enrolled at the institution.

The college had collected Rs 47.5 lakh in tuition and other fees for the first four years of his MBBS program but was unable to pay the remaining Rs 11.75 lakh for the final year. Financial constraints led the college to withhold the graduate's certificates, which prevented him from completing his permanent registration with the Telangana Medical Council and securing employment for nearly a year.

The court noted that these documents are the petitioner's exclusive property and that the college has no legal authority to retain them. Even if the college wishes to recover outstanding fees, it can only do so through appropriate legal proceedings. The court held that retaining the petitioner's certificates as security for any amount claimed is unlawful and directed the college and the university to return the original documents to the graduate within one week of receiving a copy of the order.