HC imposes a penalty of ₹3 crore on a private dental college for interpolating students’ attendance register

Also directs it to pay a compensation of ₹Rs24 lakh each to two women students who were not allowed to complete the course in 2018

The Madras High Court on Tuesday imposed a penalty of ₹3 crore on Madha Dental College and Hospital at Kundrathur in Chennai for having interpolated the attendance register of two students and not allowing them to complete their course since 2018 because they did not pay the excess fees demanded by the institution.

Justice Krishnan Ramasamy ordered that the penalty must be deposited with Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University within eight weeks for the purpose of providing scholarship to poor students. He also directed the university to ensure that all colleges under its control install biometric attendance system to avoid interpolations.

The judge also directed the State government, Director of Medical Education, the university and the Dental Council of India represented by its counsel S. Haja Mohideen Gisthi to conduct an inquiry with regard to the affairs of Madha Dental College and initiate appropriate action including withdrawal of approval and de-affiliation.

The orders were passed while allowing writ petitions filed by S.C. Raja Rajeswari, admitted under management quota, and Ramya Priya, admitted under government quota, in 2018 accusing the college of having demanded excess fees and not allowing them to complete their course without making such excess payment.

However, the college claimed that they could not complete their course because they lacked attendance. When the judge called for the attendance register, he found that it had been interpolated. On many days, the letter ‘P’ indicating present had been changed to ‘A’ to read as if they were absent on those days.

Coming down heavily on the institution for having indulged in such “cheap” act, the judge directed the college to pay a compensation of Rs. 24 lakh to each of the two writ petitioners who could not commence practice as dentists for the last four years. The money was ordered to be paid within a month.

The college was further directed to issue course completion certificates to the two petitioners so that they could obtain their degrees from the university.