Bombay High Court Quashes Pune Student’s Rustication Over ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ Post, Cites Violation Of Natural Justice
Bombay High Court to Start Live Streaming Court Proceedings from July 7
The Bombay High Court has set aside the rustication of a 19-year-old engineering student from Pune, arrested last month for resharing a controversial Instagram post that ended with the phrase “Pakistan Zindabad.” The post was circulated online in the wake of military tensions between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor.
The student, represented by advocate Farhana Shah, challenged her college’s May 9 rustication order, describing it as “arbitrary and unlawful.” Despite deleting the post and issuing an apology, she was arrested, remanded to judicial custody, and denied bail by a Pune magistrate.
According to her plea, the student had reshared a post originally published by a Pakistan-based account named ‘Reformistan’, run by Dr Maarib Iftikhar. Her petition emphasized that the repost was made without any malicious intent or political agenda.
The college, however, claimed the student’s actions were “anti-national,” harmed its reputation, and disrupted campus harmony. Facing intense public outrage and casteist abuse both online and offline, the student was expelled without being given a chance to explain her side.
On May 27, a division bench of Justices Gauri Godse and Somasekhar Sundaresan criticized the institution’s actions. “Somebody expresses something, and you want to ruin the life of a student? How can you rusticate?” the court observed. It noted that the student was not granted an opportunity to be heard, a fundamental requirement of natural justice.
On June 10, another bench comprising Justices Makarand S Karnik and Nitin R Borkar formally quashed the rustication and directed the college to review the matter afresh, this time following due legal procedure and offering the student a fair hearing.
The case has stirred debate around freedom of expression, student rights, and institutional overreach in disciplinary actions tied to sensitive political contexts.
