Solicitor General Tushar Mehta came forward to help a student who couldn’t afford her final semester fee at Hofstra University, New York, and told the Court, “I will pay her entire fee.”
Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta has stepped in to assist a student unable to pay the fees for a US university.
Mehta informed Delhi High Court’s Justice Vikas Mahajan today that he would cover the entire last semester’s fee for Puneet Singh, who is studying at Hofstra University in New York.
This payment will amount to nearly US$12,000, or approximately Rs.10.2 lakh.
The Court commended Mehta’s decision and acknowledged the contributions of Amicus Curiae Nalin Kohli and advocate Garima Jain, who represents Canara Bank.
Justice Mahajan was hearing a plea filed by Singh’s father, Ramesh Kumar, requesting that Canara Bank be directed to release the funds for the last semester’s fee.
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The family had taken an education loan of around US$70,000 (nearly Rs.58 lakh) from the bank, which required them to pay 15% of the margin money upfront.
The Court was informed that the bank had disbursed a total of Rs.55 lakh so far but was unwilling to release the remaining funds without the margin money.
It was noted that Kumar has been battling cancer since 2014, and the family’s finances have been severely impacted due to his treatment.
The Court, On May 23, appointed Senior Advocate Nalin Kohli as amicus curiae in this matter. He informed the Court that the bank’s interests were adequately secured by the collateral provided by the petitioner, and all that remained for the petitioner’s education was to pay the tuition fee to receive the degree.