From the courts: HC slaps college with 10 lakh cost for deceiving students and Preity Zinta complains against business partner

During the proceedings, following an interim order by the High Court on August 5, 2022, the petitioner-college admitted students who completed their two-year course in May 2024, with the results declared on July 19, 2024.

The High Court noted that the case reflects a deeply troubling situation where the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) issued conditional recognition in violation of the Supreme Court’s judgment in “Adarsh Shiksha Mahavidyalaya and others versus Subhash Rahangdale and others (2012) 2 SCC 425.” This recognition allowed the petitioner-college to admit students based on interim orders passed by the High Court on August 5, 2022, and November 14, 2022. The Bench observed that the NCTE failed to either vacate the interim orders or inform the Court that the petitioner-college had not met the conditions required for recognition.

The division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Anil Kshetarpal stated, “The University has never granted any affiliation to the said college. The career of the students has been put to peril by the conjoint act of the NCTE and the petitioner-college, who appear to be hand in glove…The NCTE, being well aware of the law laid down by the Apex Court, granted conditional recognition to the petitioner-college as late as March 3, 2015.”

The Bench criticised the NCTE, noting, “The NCTE is a creature of statute which is obliged to stay away from arbitrariness, favouritism or discrimination. In the present case, the NCTE has left no stone unturned to demonstrate that it was hand in glove with the petitioner-college, not only by granting conditional recognition, which was prohibited at the relevant point in time, but also by not taking any steps to apprise this Court of the deficiencies the petitioner-college continued to be plagued with.”

The Bench added that despite assurances given on October 3, 2023, the NCTE did not take any steps to inform the Court of the deficiencies by filing an application to vacate the interim orders pursuant to which the admissions were made.

The Court has ordered that the NCTE be saddled with exemplary costs of Rs 10 lakh, which should be recovered from the erring officers after conducting inquiries. The costs are to be deposited in favour of the PGI Poor Patients Fund within 60 days. The same amount has also been imposed on the petitioner-college, to be deposited within the same period.

The High Court also directed that the admission of the students admitted by the interim orders dated August 5, 2022, and November 14, 2022, be regularised, and appropriate degrees be issued by the University.

Preity Zinta seeks court order to prevent partner from selling IPL franchise shares

Preity Zinta, film actress and one of the directors of KPH Dream Cricket Private Limited, has filed a petition in the Chandigarh Court seeking to restrain Mohit Burman from selling, disposing of, or creating any third-party rights upon his 11.5 per cent shareholding in the company.

KPH Dream Cricket Private Limited is a private limited company incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956. The company holds a franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The matter will be heard on Tuesday before the Court of Sanjay Sandhir, Additional District and Sessions Judge.

Zinta’s petition, filed under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, also seeks directions to restrain KPH Dream Cricket Private Limited from registering the transfer of Burman’s 11.5 per cent shareholding to any third party other than her. Zinta, who holds 23 per cent of the firm’s shares, has also requested that the court restrain the company from registering the transfer of Burman’s shareholding.

In her petition, Zinta stated that Burman holds approximately 48 per cent of the shareholding and is also on the board of directors.