NEW DELHI: The Bombay high court on Monday set aside the order of a Pune-based engineering college to rusticate a student over her post on Operation Sindoor.The division bench of justices Makarand S Karnik and Nitin R Borkar noted that the expulsion letter by Sinhgad Academy of Engineering was “in breach of natural justice” as the student was rusticated without being heard, news agency PTI reported.The bench ruled that the institute would be at liberty to take an appropriate decision after giving a hearing to the student.This comes after the court, on May 27, suspended Sinhgad Academy’s order to expel her. It also allowed the girl to appear for her second-year semester examinations.Also Read: HC raps Maharashtra government for arresting 19-year-old over Operation Sindoor postHowever, the court also stated that the permission should not be seen as its observation on the merits of the case.The controversy began on May 7 when the student, pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering (Information Technology) degree, shared a post on Instagram from an account named “Reformistan.” She criticised the government for Operation Sindoor, which was launched earlier that day, and targeted terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.Also Read: Why a Pune student’s jail time for a deleted post should scare anyone who values free speechHowever, realising her mistake, she deleted the post and apologised for reposting it.Despite this, the Kondhwa police in Pune registered an FIR on May 9 and arrested the teenager.She was later sent to judicial custody and lodged at Yerwada prison. The college also rusticated her immediately.Challenging her rustication and seeking quashing of the FIR, the student approached the Bombay high court.
