Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Dec 17: The state high court (HC), through an order passed on Friday December 16, permitted a MSc student of Mangalore University, M Santosh, to appear for the semester examination. Santosh has been accused of inserting camera inside ladies toilet of the university with the aim of viewing the footage captured by the camera. He was suspended by the university and arrested relating to this act. He had approached the court for permission to appear for the examination.

The division bench of the high court chaired by Chief Justice S K Mukherjee and Justice R B Budihal, which heard the appeal filed by the vice chancellor of Mangalore University, asked the university to provide the student with an opportunity to appear for the examination. At the same time, it placed a condition that his result should not be published till the appeal is decided.

Advocate for the university argued that the single judge bench of the HC had ordered the university to facilitate the student to write the examination. He drew the attention of the bench that as per rules, he cannot appear for the examination for want of attendance. Therefore, he sought a stay order against the decision of the single judge bench.

The senior advocate who appeared on behalf of the petitioner argued that the single judge bench was in order in passing the said order, as the future of the student will be in peril if he is not allowed to appear for the same. He said that the university had registered complaint against the student without allowing him to give any explanation, and suspended him.

M Santosh from Yedamangala near Sulia, a second semester student of MSc course of the university, was accused of fixing CCTV camera inside the toilet block meant for girl students. A girl student had complained to the university registrar about the presence of the camera, after which the university management had filed police complaint.