Students from various African countries, who were studying in the Bangalore International College at Doddanekkundi, can heave a sigh of relief. The students had alleged harassment and cheating by the institution.
The Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) has come to their aid and directed the college to immediately return the students’ original documents and fees without obtaining any undertaking from the students. The commission has directed the Bangalore University to issue an order to the college in this regard.
According to a communiqué from KSHRC, the students were “cheated” into getting admitted in the college by an agent, who approached them in their home countries. The agent had showed them the college website and claimed that it was affiliated to Bangalore University. However, without their understanding, since most students are from French-speaking African countries, the applications were made in the name of Loyola Business School, which were later processed for visa.
Towards the end of 2015, when the students came to the college, they realised they had been taken for a ride as the Bangalore International College neither had any building nor campus. It was being run from three rooms on the first floor of a building in Marathahalli, while the Loyola Business School is located on Sanjaynagar Main Road, near Nagashettyhalli bus stop. The students also realised later that the college was not affiliated to Bangalore University and yet, agents were luring students to join the college despite lack of basic facilities.
The students have lost both their course and hostel fees. The college was also refusing to return the students' original documents, despite a specific request to return the same along with the fees. Without any documents, the students are unable to get admission in another college, which amounted to fraud and cheating, KSHRC communiqué said.
The communiqué also stated that the college has not given bonafide student certificates even a month after they arrived in India to enable them to register with Foreign Regional Registration Office, thereby jeopardising their stay in India. They were facing threats of imprisonment and deportation, thereby violating their human rights.
The Peoples' Union for Civil Liberties, which approached the KSHRC on behalf of the students, noted that the college had also violated the directions of Bangalore University issued in March 2016 to return fees of all students. The same month, the students had approached the Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), without any success. PUCL had appealed to the KSHRC to direct the college to refund the fees and return all original documents, including passports, and issue NOC immediately, besides directing the FRRO to extend visa and residential permits of the students.
