SANTOSH SINGH Vs. VICE-CHANCELLOR ALLAHABAD UNIVERSITY ALLAHABAD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) A. K. Yog, J. All these petitions were clubbed and heard together as jointly agreed by the learned counsels for the parties. Salient facts of the cases are not disputed.

(2.) THESE petitions have been filed by certain students, registered bonafide stu dents of the University of Allahabad (called the 'university') and its affiliated colleges (called the 'colleges') being ag grieved due to inaction of the respondent in the matters of 'unfair means cases' and failing to discharge their statutory obliga tion under Uttar Pradesh State Univer sities Act, 1973 (called the Act, 1973') due to pendency of criminal proceedings under The U. P. Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 1998 (called the Act, 1998') and as a conse quence thereof these students being prevented from further pursing their respective academic studies.

(3.) FROM the papers, placed by the learned counsels for the petitioners before this Court relating to criminal proceed ings initiated on the basis of first informa tion reports against some petitioners, it is evident that these cases are still pending at the stage of investigation even though about a year has elapsed. In others, criminal cases are pending before the con cerned Judicial Magistrate. Proceedings relating to use of unfair means are likely to take long and for several years the students' academic career shall hang in uncertainty. It is bound to lead to frustra tion and desperation in the young genera tion of the society besides the fact that loss and damage caused to a student by the delay in the decision of these matters can not be compensated in any manner. Time lost is irretrievable and damage done is irreparable.