Bombay HC overturns rustication of Pune student arrested over post about Operation Sindoor
A bench of Justices MS Karnik and NR Borkar set aside the decision after finding that the student had not been heard before the rustication order was passed. The court, however, granted the college liberty to pass a fresh order after hearing the student, the legal news outlet reported.
The 19-year-old is a second-year information technology student at Sinhgad Academy of Engineering, a private college affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University.
On May 7, she had allegedly reposted material on Instagram from an account that criticised the Indian government. The post was related to military tensions between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor.
After receiving threats online, she had deleted the post and apologised.
However, following protests against her post, she was arrested on May 9. She was rusticated by the college on the same day.
On May 27, a division bench of Justices Gauri Godse and Somasekhar Sundaresan criticised the 19-year-old's college for rusticating her for the social media post, saying that educational institutes need to help students rather than turn them into criminals.
The High Court had also criticised the Maharashtra government for arresting the student. It had directed the student's counsel to file a bail petition, adding that it would be granted immediately.
She was granted bail on May 27.
The bench had also directed that the student not be summoned by the police during her exams and barred her from leaving Maharashtra without permission.
It had added that she had missed her May 24 and May 27 papers while in custody, and allowed her to approach university authorities regarding those exams.
The police had been instructed to provide her security during the exam and the college was given the option to arrange separate seating if needed.
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