High drama in HC complex as nursing students threaten suicide

Madras High Court complex today witnessed high drama when 41 government college students threatened to commit suicide after a bench reversed its orders on their review petition, challenging upholding a GO allowing private nursing students eligible for government jobs.
The nursing students threatened to jump off the sixth floor of the court building after the bench, comprising Justices N Paul Vasanthakumar and M Sathyanarayanan reserved its orders on the petition filed by one P Karruppasamy, a nursing course student of Madras Medical College.
The bench initially told students' counsel to approach the Supreme Court, who sought to know how it could do so and it could only state whether the review petition would be entertained or not.

However when counsel insisted on a decision, the bench reserved its orders.
The agitated students then made their way to the sixth floor and threatened to jump from there. On coming to know of it, advocates, including women, rushed to the area and tried vainly to persuade them to come down.
Even as police and fire department personnel reached the spot with safety nets, the students were pacified by Madras High Courts Advocate Association President R C PaulKanakaraj.

All 41 students were arrested for unlawful assembly, attempt to suicide and trespass and later let out on their own bail by police.

On January 8, the first bench, comprising the then Chief Justice R K Agrawal and Justice M Sathyanarayanan had upheld a Government Order, stating that students who have nursing course in private nursing colleges were also eligible for appointment in government hospitals as nurses.
The government college nursing students were protesting the G.O., fearing loss of job opportunities for them.