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In an interim order passed on September 9, 2024, the Supreme Court directed Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical and Health Sciences to release the original certificates of medical students, provided they deposit Rs.7.5 lakhs towards pending fee arrears. This directive came in response to a petition filed by 91 medical students challenging the withholding of their documents by the college due to non-payment of fee arrears.
The students, who completed their MBBS course and internship, argued that without the documents, they could not apply for NEET-PG counselling or begin their medical careers. The dispute centers around a retrospective fee hike by the college in 2018, increasing the annual fees for the All India Quota from Rs.5 lakhs to Rs.13.22 lakhs and for the State Quota from Rs.4 lakhs to Rs.9.78 lakhs. The petitioners challenged this decision after the Uttarakhand High Court, on August 6, 2024, required them to pay arrears of approximately Rs.30 lakhs to obtain their original documents.
Senior Advocate Gaurav Agarwal, representing the students, emphasized that withholding the documents severely affects their future. On the other hand, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the college, argued that holding back documents is a surety measure to ensure students pay the full dues. Previously, the Uttarakhand High Court had directed students to pay the arrears in installments. However, when the college threatened to withhold their internships, the students challenged the decision in the Supreme Court.
Today, a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud ordered the release of documents upon payment of Rs.7.5 lakhs, with an undertaking from students to pay the remaining balance, subject to the outcome of the pending writ petition. The case, Sahil Bhargava vs. the State of Uttarakhand (SLP(C) No. 019953/2024), will continue to be heard in the Uttarakhand High Court, with the next hearing scheduled for March 2025.
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