HC allows girl to complete BAMS even as caste claim not validated

Mumbai, June 22 (UNI) The Bombay High Court has permitted a girl to complete her BAMS course even after her caste claim could not be validated, considering the fact that the seat of the second year student would remain vacant for rest of the course period and ultimately go waste.

At the same time, the court has directed her to repay all the expenditure incurred by the state for her education till now as a reserve category candidate.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice S C Dharmadhikari upheld the order of the Caste Scrutiny Committee which declined to proceed caste claim of Preeti Verma, a second year student from Ayurved Mahashala, Sion.

The Committee's order was based on the endorsement carried on her caste certificate, that she is not entitled to any benefits of the reserve category in Maharashtra, as she originaly hailed from Uttar Pradesh.

But after considering the fact that her seat would remain vacant for rest of the course period, the judges allowed Preeti to continue and complete her BAMS course as a general category candidate. But for that Preeti, under orders of the court, will have to tender an undertaking that she will never claim any benefits admissible to OBC candidates in Maharashtra and that she would make good and compensate all the expenditure incurred by the state government on her education till now, as a reserve category candidate.

The court has directed Preeti's advocate R K Mendadkar to file undertaking to this effect within 10 days, making it clear that if she fails to do so, her admission will stand cancelled.

UNI