The Bombay High Court on Friday pulled up a law student for making false claims in her petition against a university, observing that justice does not mean getting whatever one wants.
False claims in plea
The student had filed a plea alleging an error in her attendance computation and claimed that the college had granted extra attendance to certain students arbitrarily. However, during the hearing, the court found that her allegations were baseless and unsupported by evidence.
Justice A. K. Menon, presiding over the case, noted that the student had made sweeping statements without providing any proof. "Justice doesn't mean whatever I want. You cannot come to court with false claims and expect relief," the judge remarked.
Court's observations
The court further observed that the student had not approached the university authorities before filing the petition. "You should have exhausted the remedies available within the institution before knocking on the doors of this court," Justice Menon added.
The bench directed the student to pay costs of Rs. 10,000 for wasting the court's time with frivolous litigation. The amount is to be deposited with the Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority within four weeks.
Impact and precedent
Legal experts say this ruling serves as a deterrent against filing frivolous petitions in educational matters. "The high court has sent a clear message that students cannot misuse the legal process to settle scores with institutions," said advocate Rohan Shah.
The university, represented by senior counsel, welcomed the order, stating that it vindicates their position that attendance records were maintained fairly and transparently.
