Sikkim HC sets aside expulsion of four students, terms it ‘violation of principles of natural justice’

The Sikkim High Court has set aside the expulsions of four students by a government college on grounds of violation of principles of natural justice by the authorities of the

The Sikkim High Court has set aside the expulsions of four students by a government college on grounds of violation of principles of natural justice by the authorities of the institution. They neither show caused the quartet nor provided any evidence to the court to establish the allegations levelled  against the students.

In an order delivered on Tuesday, Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan, however, said many allegations against the students appeared not to be without reason, and the authorities of Sikkim Government College, Gyalshing, were well within their right to punish the four for indiscipline and misconduct provided the charges were proved.

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In the case of the four students, Praveen Basnet, Pravin Sharma, Lok Nath Chettri and Nakul Sharma, who were expelled from the college in February this year for staging a dharna and other alleged acts of indiscipline, the court held that there was a complete violation of the principles of natural justice.

The high court said there was no material evidence to suggest the college authorities applied their mind to establish the allegations against the students and hear them out before passing the expulsion orders.

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All four students were pursuing BA courses in the college before their ouster. They were arrested in Gangtok in early February for taking part in a dharna with other students of their college to protest against the delay in the construction of the college campus.

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