The Bombay High Court on Thursdaygranted interim relief to a first-year law student who was rusticated from a law college in the city for allegedly smoking cannabis in classroom.Hearing her plea through video conference which was livestreamed, Justice G S Patel allowed the student to appear for her internal exams.As per the student's petition, she was suspended with 17 others by the college authorities on March 4 pending inquiry for 'misconduct'.On March 18 she and another student were rusticated.She was not given hearing by the authorities before taking the action, the petitioner claimed.Advocate Manorama Mohanty, who represented the college, said the authorities came across social media pictures where the petitioner and some other students were seen smoking cannabis in a classroom.Petitioner's lawyer Mohit Bhardwaj argued that the college did not provide her the material on the basis of which action was taken.The high court said it would not go into the merits of the case but the college should have followed some "formality" in the decision-making process."Were the rusticated students given a hearing? It is a rustication order. This is disastrous for the students. The college ought to have followed some formality while conducting the inquiry," Justice Patel said.The court allowed the student to attend lectures and appear for internal examinations. "This interim order shall continue till the petition is heard when the court opens for normal hearing," the court said.
