18-year-old survivor of Bandra Worli Sea Link accident denied permission to sit for BCom exam

Parel resident Juyal was in the Maruti Swift along with Mohammed Rayyan Patel (18) and Shane Joseph Portugal (18) on the fateful night when the accident happened. Siddharth was rushed to Global Hospital, Parel, on December 5 and discharged on December 8

Mumbai: Despite informing his college about his absence, 18-year-old Siddharth Juyal, a survivor of the deadly accident on Bandra Worli Sea Link has been denied permission to appear for the semester one BCom exam due to lack of attendance.

18-year-old survivor of Bandra Worli Sea Link accident denied permission to sit for BCom exam

The accident that took place in the early hours on October 5 claimed five people and left eight with injuries.

Parel resident Juyal was in the Maruti Swift along with Mohammed Rayyan Patel (18) and Shane Joseph Portugal (18) on the fateful night when the accident happened. Siddharth was rushed to Global Hospital, Parel, on December 5 and discharged on December 8.

“On October 9, Siddharth informed Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics, Vile Parle via email about the accident and his injuries, and the reason for his absence. He was advised bed rest till October 28. We had clear communication with the college about his attendance,” said Manish, his father. He said apart from the email correspondence, Juyal had submitted the required medical documents personally on October 16.

“We were then told not to worry about the attendance and that it will be considered at the end. We were shocked when we received the debarment email from the college on December 10 and called us for a personal hearing,” said Manish.

According to the college, Siddharth’s average attendance has been 52%. As per the rules, a student must complete 75% attendance to appear for the exam. However, the principal can relax up to 20% attendance based on various reasons.

The college had sent an email saying Siddharth was debarred from appearing at the semester-end examinations because of an attendance shortfall. He has to now repeat the semester in the next academic year 2023-24.

The father-son duo met principal Parag Ajgoankar on December 15 morning hoping he would be allowed. “He had prepared for the exams. We left for college thinking we will be allowed. It is only on December 15 morning that we realised that the college was adamant,” he said.

Siddharth was discharged on October 08 and advised bed rest for three weeks. “He had a soft tissue injury in the right lower limb. Based on the MRI findings we were planning to a plaster or put a leg brace, but the other alternative was complete bed rest and review him . The complete bed rest worked,” said Dr Neelkanth Dhamnaskar, his treating orthopaedic surgeon at Global Hospital.

Ajgoankar, principal, Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics, said, “The medical certificates were taken into consideration and still his attendance is 52%. As per the rules, we cannot allow him to sit for the exams.”

-With inputs from Niraj Pandit