Karnataka HC imposes Rs 1 lakh cost each on two dental colleges

Two dental colleges that approached the Karnataka High Court seeking admission for some students to dental courses have been fined Rs 1 lakh each. The court said the colleges cannot make pleas on behalf of the students.

“If the petitioner-students were really deprived of the seats to which they were eligible, they would have approached the Court independently. The colleges cannot step into the shoes of students and file the writ petitions,” the court said.

“Precious time of the petitioner-students has been wasted. So also, the petitioners have wasted the Court time for more than half a day, depriving the other genuine litigants,” the division bench of Justice B Veerappa and Justice K S Hemalekha said imposing the cost.

As per the report of Hindustan Times, Sri Venkateshwara Dental College, Bengaluru and KVG Dental College, Sullia, approached the HC on behalf of six students. It was claimed that the website of the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) was not opening on May 2 and 3 when the students had to register and make payment for the mop-up round of counseling for BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) courses. KEA however contended that the website was open for mop-up round registration from March 29, 2022 to March 31 and the date was extended to April 1, 2022.