The Seth Hirachand Mutha College case concluded with the Mumbai High Court imposing a ₹1 lakh penalty on the Kalyan-based institution for admitting an ineligible Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) student. The Division Bench held that the student should not suffer because of the college’s administrative lapse and directed the institution to deposit the penalty with Mumbai University. The court also ordered the issuance of the student’s marksheet, sought an affidavit from the college president, and scheduled the matter for compliance on July 13.
Mumbai High Court Fines Seth Hirachand Mutha College Rs 1 Lakh Over Ineligible BMS Admission
The Mumbai High Court has imposed a Rs 1 lakh penalty on Seth Hirachand Mutha Arts, Commerce and Science College, Kalyan, after holding the institution responsible for admitting an ineligible BMS student despite being aware of the eligibility requirements.
The Mumbai High Court has ruled that a student should not suffer because of errors committed by a college, imposing a Rs 1 lakh penalty on Seth Hirachand Mutha Arts, Commerce and Science College, Kalyan, for granting admission to an ineligible student in the Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) programme.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Riyaz I. Chagla and Justice Farhan Dubash observed that the institution admitted the student despite the prescribed eligibility criteria. The court directed the college to deposit the penalty amount with Mumbai University within two weeks.
The Bench also instructed the college to ensure that similar mistakes are not repeated in future admissions. The judges emphasised that educational institutions are expected to verify eligibility before confirming admissions to professional courses.
The petitioner approached the High Court through advocate Atharva Dandekar after his admission was questioned. Earlier, the court had permitted him to appear for the examinations, following which he sought declaration of his sixth-semester results.
Mumbai High Court Holds College Responsible for Eligibility Lapse
During the hearing, Seth Hirachand Mutha Arts, Commerce and Science College admitted that the student did not satisfy the mandatory eligibility condition for admission to the BMS programme.
The college stated that passing the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination in the first attempt was a compulsory eligibility requirement. It acknowledged that the admission had been granted despite the student not fulfilling this condition.
The institution attributed the lapse to staff shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, work-from-home arrangements and communication difficulties. It described the admission as an inadvertent human error rather than a deliberate violation of admission norms.
The college further informed the court that it had requested Mumbai University to consider the student’s case on humanitarian grounds, given the circumstances under which the admission had been processed.
However, Mumbai University opposed the college’s submissions. The university argued that the student’s ineligibility had already been identified during the admission scrutiny process conducted in December 2022.
According to the university, the college had been informed about the student’s ineligibility at that stage. Despite receiving the communication, the institution allegedly allowed the student to continue pursuing the course.
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Court Notes College Had Earlier Committed Similar Error
The Division Bench held that responsibility for the entire episode rested solely with Seth Hirachand Mutha Arts, Commerce and Science College and observed that the student should not be penalised for the institution’s administrative failures.
The court noted that the petitioner had already completed all six semesters of the BMS programme and had successfully passed the final examination. Denying academic relief at such a stage would unfairly prejudice the student’s future.
The Bench also remarked that the college appeared to be a “repeat offender” in matters relating to admission eligibility. It referred to an earlier judgment involving a similar lapse committed by the same institution.
The judges recalled that the college had previously been fined Rs 50,000 for an identical violation. Despite earlier judicial warnings, the institution allegedly failed to strengthen verification mechanisms during subsequent academic admissions.
The High Court directed that the student’s marksheet be issued within one week. It also ordered Prakash Mutha, President of Seth Hirachand Mutha Arts, Commerce and Science College, to file an affidavit assuring that such admission irregularities would not recur.
The court has scheduled the matter for further compliance on July 13, when it will review whether the college has complied with its directions, including payment of the penalty and submission of the required affidavit.
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Editorial Note:
This article is based on publicly available FIR records, court case references, and reports published by multiple media organisations. The information is presented in the context of ongoing investigations and public interest reporting. Sprouts News does not make any judicial determination regarding the individuals mentioned and does not intend to defame any person or organisation. Any individual seeking clarification or wishing to provide an official response may contact the editorial team with verifiable documentation. The information is presented for journalistic and informational purposes.
