HC directs pvt dental college to refund fee to Iranian students

The Madras High Court today directed a private dental college near here to refund the full fees paid by Iranian students, whose admissions were cancelled as they were enrolled without the mandatory NEET qualification.

Justice P N Prakash ordered the Asan Memorial Dental College and Hospital to handover all the demand drafts to the Consul General of Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammed Haghbin Ghoni, who appeared in the court to represent the case of the students.

He also directed the Consul General, who is in touch with the families of the students, to ensure that the amount reached them. The judge then posted the matter to June 11.

The court was hearing a petition by student Naseer Hamidavi Zegheiri, seeking vacation of stay on the FIR registered against the college on a complaint by him that it had not refunded the fees paid by him after his admission was cancelled.

According to the petitioner, the college had admitted the students, who did not have the NEET qualification, despite knowing that it was compuslory for admission to medical courses.

It later informed him that the MGR Medical University, to which the college was affiliated, was instructed to discharge all foreign national candidates admitted to the BDS course without the NEET qualification, he had submitted.

When the matter came up today, the court was informed that besides Zeheiri, there were 14 other students who had also been admitted by the college without the National Eligibility-cum Entrance Test (NEET) qualification.

Assistant Solicitor General Karthikeyan, representing the Centre, submitted that the Union of India would extend all help to the Iranian students to get their money back.

He handed over the list of the those who have paid the fee.

He also handed over another list of students affected in the similar way by another college.

The counsel for the Asan Memorial Dental College gave an undertaking to the court all students who had paid their fee would get the refund.

Noting that out of the total Rs 53.40 lakh fees paid by Zegheiri, already Rs 5.50 lakhs had been paid to him. The balance would be paid by a DD on or before June 11, he added.

The families of aggrieved Iranian students had approached the Consul General of Islamic Republic of Iran in Hyderabad and the Ministry of External affairs.