Pune’s Indian Law Society’s (ILS) Law College has been ordered by Maharashtra’s Directorate of Higher Education to refund Rs 1.04 lakh in “illegally collected” fees to former student Mayur Garud. The order issued on April 15 opens up an avenue for thousands of students who have studied at the college over the previous few years to demand similar refunds, which would potentially cost the college crores of rupees.
In a complaint filed with the Directorate in early 2025 on the basis of RTI documents, Garud alleged that “illegal fee” was being collected by the college under “unapproved heads”. The petitioner alleged that this fee “violates binding legal principles laid down by courts as well as statutory provisions”.
Spurred by the Court’s order, Higher and Technical Education Department Undersecretary N Kshirsagar wrote a letter to the Director of Higher Education on April 13. The letter said that a committee appointed by the Director to investigate the complaint had recommended that Rs 1.04 lakh “illegally collected fee” be refunded to Garud with interest.
The committee wrote that the fee, “does not appear to have been approved by Savitribai Phule Pune University under Section 101 (7) of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016, and therefore the fee of Rs. 1,04,863/- is found to have been collected illegally and in an opaque manner. Therefore, it would be appropriate to refund the said amount along with interest at the rate of 6 percent from the date of receipt of fee payment by the petitioner student till the day the college reimburses the student. Similarly, it would be appropriate for the college to refund the fees collected illegally and in an opaque manner from other students of this college.”
Following this, an April 15 letter by the Director of Higher Education Shailendra Deolankar instructed Pune’s Divisional Joint Secretary Ashok Ubale to take appropriate action for refund of the fees to Garud. Finally, an April 15 letter by Ubale to the secretary of ILS and principal of ILS Law College instructed the college that appropriate actions to refund the fee to Garud must be taken. However, these letters do not mention the refund of fees to other students.
At a press conference on April 20, Garud said, “As the petition was filed by me, these orders mention only my name. But all students who have studied at ILS have been charged this illegal fee and should be eligible for the refund, as mentioned in the Undersecretary’s order. Further, illegal fees charged by other colleges can also be challenged.”
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Deepa Paturkar, Principal (Additional Charge) of ILS Law college, did not respond to calls or messages for a response.
Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting.
Professional Background
Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune.
Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics.
Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories:
1. Investigations & Governance
"Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents.
"44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families.
2. Education & Campus Life
Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University.
"Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial.
"Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers.
3. Human Rights & Social Issues
"Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India.
"'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying.
Signature Style
Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty.
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