Chandigarh: Punjab and Haryana high court has set aside the expulsion of two MBBS students accused in an examination malpractice case, holding that though the allegation is grave, it cannot bypass the requirement of adherence to principles of natural justice.Justice Kuldeep Tiwari passed the orders after hearing a plea filed by Khushi Sehrawat and Vidhi Rana against their expulsion by Pandit BD Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak. The court held that the university had failed to provide the students a fair opportunity to defend themselves before imposing the harsh penalty.The controversy unfolded after large-scale examination irregularity surfaced in the MBBS examination, where discrepancies such as mismatched answer sheets and suspected substitutions were detected. A preliminary inquiry flagged around 30 students, including the two petitioners.An investigation by a disciplinary board relied on forensic handwriting analysis, which reportedly found that some answer sheets did not match the students’ handwriting. Based on these findings, the university expelled the students and cancelled their exam results.While acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations, HC held that due process cannot be bypassed and the vice-chancellor passed the expulsion order without giving the students a personal hearing.It was also observed that copies of key documents, especially the disciplinary board’s recommendations and handwriting expert’s report, were not provided before the decision. The court ruled that such omissions violated the principles of natural justice, rendering the expulsion legally unsustainable.After hearing all the parties, HC directed the students to appear before the VC on March 27, 2026 and the university has been asked to supply all relevant documents, including expert reports.
