WP/27219/2026 of Mohammed Ayman Farooqui Vs THE STATE OF TELANGANA on 21 August 2026

:ORDER:

This Writ Petition is filed seeking the following relief: "fo rbsue a Writ or Order/s more padicular one in the nature of Writ Mandamus, declaring the inaction of the respondent Nos.4 and S i-n not considering lhe representations of the petitioners and more pafiicularly the direction mail under public Grievance AICTE pcRC dated 5.5.2026 of Respondent No.2 and on other dates, as being itlegal, arbitrary, violative of principtes of naturil justice and violative of Artictes 19, 21 and 51A of the Constitution of lndia and consequenfly direct Respondent Nos.4 and 5 to Return the original educational ceftificates of the petitioners inctiding Transfer Ceiificates and be pteased fo pass. . .,, Heard [\Ir. ]\4ohd Lateef Khan, learned counsel for the petitioners, [Vlr. [Vl.Vamshi Kiran, learned Assistant Government Pleader for Higher Education, appearing for respondent No..l , and Mr. Peri Prabhakar, learned Standing Counsel for Jawaharlal - lustice luwadi5ridevr wp 212t9-2016 Nehru Technological University, appearing for respondent No 3' lnspite of service of notice, none entered appearance on behalf of rbspondent Nos.4 and 5. Perused the record'

3. Case of the petitioners is that' at the time of rheir admission into the B.Tech course in respondent Nos'4 and ll-College' they submitted all their original certificates' includintl the original Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Marks Memorandum' Diploma It/larks Memo, Provisional Certificate' Consolidated Marks Memo' Caste Certificate and Transfer Certificate' Further case of the petitioners is that upon successful- completion of tlre course' they requested respondent Nos'4 and 5 to return their original certificates for pursuing higher studies However' despite such request' respondent Nos.4 and 5 failed to return the sarne and illegally withheld the original certificates on the ground thert the tuition fee reimbursementamountWaSyettobereleasedbytheGovernment and further demanded payment of Rs'70'000/-' as a condition for their release. Petitioner No.'1 paid the said amounl' but the original certificates were still not returned and only scanned copies were provided. Aggrieved by the conduct of the respondent Nos 4 and 5- college, Petitioner No.1 lodged a complaint before the State Human Rights Commission and addressed an e-mail to respondent No 2 on -@u

J ustice I uwadi Sndevi wp 21219_2026 04.05.2026. Respondent No.2 thereafter directed respondent Nos.4 and 5 to lmmediately return the petitioners, original certificates, referring to Clause 6.45 of the ATCTE ApH 2024-27 and the AICTE circular dated 18.07.2025, which prohibit institutions from withholding original certificates of students. Despite the said directions, the respondent Nos.4 and S-college continued to insist upon payment of the fees as a condition for releasing the original certificates. Further case of the petitioners is that they have already lost one academic year, and admissions to posfGraduation courses for the academic year 2026 are due to close within three days. Unless the original certificates dre immediately returned, the petitloners will suffer further irreparable loss and may be deprived of the opportunity to pursue higher education. Hence, the present writ petition.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that the petitioners require their original certificates for higher studies. Though the petitioners have successfully completed their B.Tech course in the year 2025, respondent Nos. 4 and 5 have withheld the certificates on the ground that tuition fee reimbursement from the Government is pending. Such withholding is illegal, arbitrary, and - lustLceluwadi Sndevi wp -27279 -2A16 unsustainable.Hence,heseeksadirectiontorespondentNos'4 and 5 to forthwith return all the original certificates of the petitioners'

5. lt is not in dispute that at the time of admission' the petitioners submitted their original certificates referred to etbove and the petitioners have successfully completed their B Tech course and the original certificates referred to above were presentl)l in the custody of respondent Nos.4 and 5. The said certificates' being personal andacademiccredentials,areundoubtedlythepropertyofthe petitioners. ln such circumstances, respondent Nos 4 and 5 have no authority whatsoever to retain the gaid certificates and the retention of the petitioners original certificates is wholly unjus':ified and cannot be sustained. Even assuming that the college has any monetary claimagainstthepetitioners,withholdingtheorigirralcertificatesof the petitioners cannot be adopted as a mode o1' enforcing such claim. The proper remedy available to the collel;e' if any' is to pursue appropriate proceedings in accordance with law for recovery of its dues. However, the college cannot retain the petitioners' original certificates as security for the recovery of any amount claimed by it. Such retention is unlawful and cannot be justified on the ground of any outstanding liability. Therefore, tris Court is of the lR@&t

To, lustice Juwad i Sridevl @p 272a9-2026 considered opinion that the petitioners are entitled to the immediate return of hls original certificates.

6. For the foregoing discussion, this Writ Petition is disposed of' directing Respondent Nos.4 and 5 to forthwith return the original cerfificates referred to above, upon receipt of a copy of this order' No costs Pending miscellaneous applications, if any' shall stand closed A SD/- A.H.S.GOWRI SHANKAR ASSISTANT REGISTRAR //TRUE COPY// ION OFFICER

1. The Principal Secretary, Higher Education Department, Dr. B.R.Ambedkar Secretariat Saifabad, Hyderabad 500001.

2. The Chairman, All lndia Council for Technical Education, Nelson Mandela [\ilarg, Vasant Kunj, tiew Delhi 1 1 0070.

3. The Registrar, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kukatpally'

4. The Principal, TKR Engineering College, Raghava Nagar Colony, Meerpet, Hyderabad 500097, By Spl messenge(SPAD)

5. The Dean - Academics, TKR College of Engineering and Technology, Raghava Nagar Colony, Meerpet,Hyderabad 500097 Ce||.9849477550 By Spl messcnger(SPAD)

6. One CC to SRl. MOHD LATEEF KHAN, Advocate [OPUC]

7. One CC to SRl. PERI PRABHAKAR, Standing Counsel for JNTU IOPUC] B. Two CCs to GP FOR HIGHER EDUCATION' High Court for the State of Telangana, at Hyderabad [OUT]

9. Two CD CoPies PSR TKS

HIGH COURT DATED: 2110812026

ORDER

WP.No.27219 of 2026 DISPOSING OF THE WRIT PETITION WITHOUT COSTS. CC TODAY 1t\ oF t- STAIE q ,g' i 11['\rB?f' Zit Ijj .(: ..,1 o€r,.\.igg, -<\ .. ' .17 Jf \ 2A g >€