No relief for MBBS student caught cheating

The Bombay High Court on Thursday sent a harsh message to those indulging in cheating during exams, when they declined to give any relief to an MBBS student, who was failed in all subjects because he carried some handwritten notes in to the examination hall.

The Bombay High Court on Thursday sent a harsh message to those indulging in cheating during exams, when they declined to give any relief to an MBBS student, who was failed in all subjects because he carried some handwritten notes in to the examination hall.

HT Image

"He is not a kindergarten student, he was appearing for his final year MBBS examination," said the division bench of justices PB Majmudar and Mridula Bhatkar while dismissing the petition filed by the student, Gajanan Mitke.

"Had it not been seized by supervisor, he would have definitely utilised the same," added the bench while declining to interfere with the decision taken by the Controller of Examination of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences.

On July 27 the Controller of Examination declared that Mitke, a GS Medical College student, failed in all subjects for merely carrying written notes for a Pediatrics exam.

He had appeared for the paper on June 3, when the supervisor checked each student immediately after distributing answer sheets. Referring to this admitted factual aspect, his counsel MS Karnik said there was no question of him using the written notes since they were removed before he began writing the paper.

"In fact, failing him is not a punishment at all. You better ask him to devote more time to studies instead of resorting to such unfair means," justice Majmudar added.