State tells Pune’s ILS Law College to refund Rs1.04L excess fees with 6% interest to student

Pune: The state directorate of higher education has directed city-based ILS Law College to refund Rs1.04 lakh to a student with 6% interest, stating that the amount was collected "illegally and in a non-transparent manner" under unapproved fee heads.In a letter issued on April 13 to the college, the directorate said the amount collected from petitioner Mayur Garud during the 2020–21 to 2024–25 academic years as "other fees" did not have the required approvals. It stated that the amount was recovered without transparency.The directorate has instructed the college to complete the refund, along with 6% interest, and submit a compliance report to state govt. The report will be submitted before the Bombay high court.The directive follows a court-mandated inquiry after the HC, by its order dated Feb 12, told the state to examine Garud's complaint filed on April 11, 2025, and take a decision within two months.Phone calls and text and WhatsApp messages to the principal in-charge of ILS Law College, Deepa Paturkar, remained unanswered till the time of going to press on Monday.When contacted, Ashok Ubale, joint director of the higher education directorate (DHE), told TOI: "A detailed inquiry by a three-member DHE committeefound that the fees charged were not approved under Section 101(7) of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016, and therefore required to be returned to the student from the date of payment until actual refund with 6% interest."In response to the DHE report, petitioner Mayur Garud said, "The inquiry confirms that these fees were not approved. This is not limited to one student. Others who have paid similar amounts should also be considered for refund. The matter concerns the rights of several of students and the integrity of the education system. Findings of the inquiry indicate the concerns raised and mark an important step towards accountability and systemic reform."The issue first surfaced through an RTI response dated Feb 17, 2025, following which representations were made to the authorities. Based on the findings, the DHE constituted an inquiry committee on March 7, 2026, which conducted hearings of both the college and the petitioner. The report was submitted on March 30 and forwarded to DHE, Pune, on April 1.Ubale said, "The inquiry has found that the college introduced 17 to 19 additional fee heads under the category of ‘other fees', beyond the limited structure permitted under law. Students were charged between Rs 34,000 and Rs 42,000 on an annual basis under these heads."He said, "The report also notes that fee receipts initially reflected approved components but later included additional entries under vague descriptions such as ‘other activities', without approval from the university or state govt."
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