Rs 10 lakh penalty if doctor's original certificates not returned within 8 weeks: Madras HC

Chennai: The Madras High Court bench recently slammed the University of Madras (UoM) for withholding the original academic certificates of a retired Biochemistry professor.

Giving an eight-week ultimatum to the University for retrieving the certificates, the High Court bench has also clarified that if the Registrar and the HoD of the Biochemistry department fail to give them back then they would be liable to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation to the professor.

While the concerned professor had submitted the certificates for TN Senior Scientist Award, 2016, it was alleged that the University authorities falsely denied the receipt of the certificates. 

Apart from slamming the ultimatum, the HC bench of Justice R Subramaniam further clarified that if the documents could not be retrieved, then the Vice-chancellor should initiate appropriate enquiry led by independent persons, not below the rank of a varsity HoD, and find out the persons responsible for the loss of original certificates. The bench has also ordered to recover the amount of compensation from the responsible persons.

The bench has also held the petitioner professor entitled for Rs 10,000 towards costs incurred and ordered to pay the same to the registrar.

Also Read: Madras HC raps Govt for withholding certificates of doctors, orders to ensure immediate bond service postings

As per the latest media report by the New Indian Express, the concerned Professor, Dr. S Subramanian is a former professor of Bio Chemistry department at UoM. He had submitted the original academic certificates along with an application for the TN Senior Scientist Award, 2016. Although he had submitted the documents and the application on December 23, 2017, the university authorities allegedly did not forward his application to the Science City for the purpose of processing. 

After getting to know about this, the concerned professor had urged the authorities for returning the certificates. However, to his surprise, the university authorities denied submission of original documents. Following this, he approached the HC bench seeking relief.

DT Next adds that the petitioner showed several communications including e-mails as a proof regarding the submission of the application. He also showed the acknowledgment from the office of the Registrar.

After considering the matter, the HC bench of Justice R Subramaniam observed, "…this Writ Petition is disposed of with a direction to the respondents 1 and 2 to retrieve the original documents of the petitioner and hand over the same to him within a period of eight weeks."

The bench further clarified, "If the respondents are unable to return the original documents to the petitioner within a period eight weeks, the Madras University will pay a sum of Rs.10 Lakhs damages to the petitioner."

Also Read: Medical Degree Certificate not Marketable Commodity, cannot be withheld for unfulfilled bond terms: HC