DEVIKA SONIRAJ Vs. ZONAL MANAGER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The grievance of the petitioner in the writ petition concerns the decision of Bank of India, a public sector bank in declining the request of the petitioner for an educational loan.

(2.) The petitioner is a second year BAMS student in Poomulli Neelakandan Namboothiripad Memorial Ayurveda Medical College, Shoranur. She secured admission in the said college for the 51/2 years long BAMS course through the centralized allotment process of the State Government during 2019 on the basis of her rank in the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test, 2019. The total fee which the petitioner is obliged to pay for the course in year-wise instalments is Rs.16,32,325/-. The petitioner has paid the fee payable for the first year of the course and a portion of the fee payable for the second year of the course. As the family of the petitioner was unable to raise the entire balance fee for the course and as they do not have any collateral security to be offered for availing an educational loan for the entire balance fee, the petitioner along with her father applied to the bank for an educational loan of Rs.7,50,000/- for which no security is insisted by the bank in terms of its Educational Loan Scheme. As per Ext.P8 communication, the petitioner was, however, informed by the bank that the request of the petitioner cannot be considered. It is stated in Ext.P8 communication that the petitioner has not made available satisfactory evidence to show that she will be in a position to pay the deficit fee and that the stand of the petitioner that the deficit fee would be met by her father from his business income cannot be accepted, as her father is not generating any income from his business. It is also stated in Ext.P8 communication that the petitioner has not disclosed in the application the liabilities of her father to the State Bank of India, and the request of the petitioner cannot, therefore, be considered as a bonafide one. Ext.P8 communication is under challenge in the writ petition.

(3.) A statement has been filed by the bank reiterating the stand taken in Ext.P8 communication.