WP/27480/2026 of Medavarapu Likhitha Vs The State of Telangana on 31 August 2026

ORDER:

. Petitioners Respondents This Writ Petition is filed seeking the following relief "to lssue an appropriate Writ, Order or Direction, more pafticularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus, declaring the action of the Sth respondent in withholding the petitioners original certificates as illegal, unlust and violation of principles of natural justice and restrain the institution/College from withholding original ceftificate due to outstanding amounts for the Government or any including unpaid fees and regulations mentioned under Rule 2(F)(6) and Rule 4.0 issued by UGC notification vide file No.1 4-4/2012(CPP-1 )in October 2018 and BY Cir. No. JNTUH/DAANStudents/Fee ReimbursemenU2O24. Dated 07/03/2024 and violations issued by respondent No.4 and AICTE Circular F.No 1- 101/DPG/AICTE/Regulations/2019 dated 29/03/2019 and violation of Article 14,19 and 21 of Constitution of lndia, Consequently direct the respondents fo issue all the Original Ceftificates - wp-27480 2026 including Provisional Ceiificate, Consolidated lv,ark Sheet Mem-o. Study Conduct. Transfer ceftificate, td, Memo. 1d' Study Conduct, lnter Memo, lnter St,tdy Conduct are holding with respondent No.S ,tnd pass. . .,,

2. Heard Mr.Grandhi Srikanth, learned cornsel for the petitioners, tt/r T.Sharath, learned Assistant Government pleader for Higher Education, appearing for respondent Nos j and 2, [\tlr. Peri Prabhakar, learned standing counser for Jawaharrar Nehru Technological University, appearing for respondent No.4 and Mr.G.V.S.Ganesh, learned counsel for respondent No.5. perused the record.

3. Case of the petitioners is tnit, at the time of their admission into the B.Tech course in respondent No.S-College, they submitted all their original certificates, including the provisional certificate, Consolidated Mark Sheet Memo, Study Conduct, Transfer Certificate, 1Oth Memo, '1Oth Study Conduct, lnter Me,mo, lnter Study Conduct. Further case of the petitioners is that u pon successful completion of the course, they requested respondent No.5 to return their original certificates, as the same were required for securing employment and they have made severar rep.esentations to respondent Nos.4 and 5 requesting the return of their original certificates. However, despite such request, responrJent No.5 failed

--,- lustice l!vvadi 5ridev wP-21480 _2026 to return the same and is illegally withholding the original certificates on the ground that the fee reimbursement amount was yet to be released by the Government and further demanded payment of the entire course fee as a condition precedent for the release of the original certificates, without considering the fact that the petitioners are students covered under the EWS category. Further case of the petitioners is that they are being irrevocably deprived of the opportunity to submit their certificates to a software company for employment by 31.08.2026 Unless the original certificates are immediately returned, the petitioners will suffer further irreparable loss and may be deprived of the op'portunity to secure employment Hence, the present writ petition

4. Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that the petitioners require their original certificates for securing employment. Though the petitioners have successfully completed their B.Tech course, respondent No.5 has been withholding the certificates on the ground that the fee reimbursement from the Government is pending Such withholding is illegal, arbitrary, and unsustainable. Hence, he seeks a direction to respondent No. 5 to forthwith return all the original certificates of the petitioners.

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5. lt is not in dispute that, at the time of zrdmission, the petitioners submitted their original certificates referred to above and that the petitioners have successfully completed their B.Tech course and the original certificates referred to above are presently in the custody of respondent No.5. The said certificates, ceing personal and academic credentials, are undoubtedly the property of the petitioners. ln such circumstances, respondent No.5 has no authority whatsoever to retain the said certificates and the retention of the petitioners' original certificates is wholly unjustiiied and cannot be sustained. Even assuming that the college has any monetary claim against the petitioners, withh6lding the original certificates of the petitioners cannot be adopted as a mode of enforcing such claim. The proper remedy available to the college, if any, is to pursue appropriate proceedings in accordance with law for recovery of its dues. However, the college cannot relain the petitioners' original certificates as security for the recovery ()f any amount claimed by it. Such retention is unlawful and canno' be justified on the ground of any outstanding liability. Therefore, this Court is of the considered opinion that the petitioners are entitled b the immediate return of their original certificates.

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6. For the foregoing discussion, this Writ petition is allowed, directing respondent No.5 to return the originar certificates referred to above, within a period of one (1)week, from the date of receipt of a copy ofthis order. No costs. Pending miscellaneous applications, if any, shall stand closed SD/- P.PONNA KRISHNA ASSISTANT REGISTRAR //TRUE COPY// SECTION OFFICER

1. The Chief Secretary, Telangana Secretariat Road, Central Secretariat, Khairtabad, Hyderabad, State of Telangana-500004

2. The Principal Secretary, Higher Education Department Secretariat Road, Central, Secretariat, Khairtabad, Hyderabad, State of Telangana - 500004.

3. The Chairman, Telangana Counsel for Higher Education, Hyderabad, Opposite. Mahavir Hospital Masab tank, Hyderabad-500028.

4. The Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kukatpally, Hyderabad.

5. The Chairman and Managing Director, Vardhaman College Of Engineering, Kacharam Shamshabad, R.R District, T.S-501218.

6. One CC to SRI GRANDHI SRIKANTH, Advocate [OPUC]

7. One CC to SRI G.V.S.GANESH, Advocate [OPUC]

8. One CC to SRI PERI PRABHAKAR, SC FOR JNTU [OPUC]

9. One CC to SRI A.P.SURESH RAM, SC FOR TGCHE [OPUC]

10. Two CCs to GP FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, High Court for the State of Telangana, at Hyderabad [OUT] '1 '1 . Two CD Copies

To, BSR €h

HIGH COURT DATED: 3'110812026

ORDER

WP.No.27480 of 2026 ALLOWING THE WRIT PETITION, WITHOUT COSTS CC TODAY TAT6 { ffflffistt rlfo\o ll ,. I , . <,\

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