The Allahabad High Court at Lucknow dismissed a Public Interest Litigation filed by an advocate seeking judicial inquiry into alleged police brutality against law students of Shree Ramswaroop Memorial University, District Barabanki. The division bench comprising Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjive Shukla found that the aggrieved law students had not approached the Court themselves and that similar issues were already being addressed in other pending proceedings.
The petitioner sought four reliefs: (i) constitution of a judicial inquiry or commission headed by a retired judge to investigate the alleged police brutality on protesting law students, including the assault of female students by male police officers; (ii) criminal prosecution and departmental action against the police personnel involved, particularly those by whom women students were allegedly manhandled and beaten; (iii) restraining Ramswaroop Memorial University from running law courses without valid recognition or approval from the Bar Council of India; and (iv) directing the State to ensure proper medical treatment, compensation, and psychological rehabilitation for all injured students.
The Court noted that the law students, who were alleged to have been beaten, had not approached the Court and observed that, as far as relief no. 1 and 2 is concerned, the aggrieved persons could approach the court or seek such remedies that may be permissible under the law. Concerning the third relief relating to university recognition, it was noted that another writ petition in the nature of Public Interest Litigation had been filed, in which an order was passed on September 11, 2025. The Court noted that the Bar Council of India had extended the University’s provisional approval for 2025-26, regularizing admissions for 2023-24 and 2024-25 subject to certain conditions, and held that there was no reason to entertain another PIL on the same matter as WPIL No. 958 of 2025 was already pending.
As far as medical treatment for injured students is concerned, it was noted that that the injured students had been admitted to King George’s Medical University, where medical treatment was being provided, but observed that the University was not made a party to the petition to enable any direction. It was also informed that an FIR against the private University had been challenged before the Court, with interim orders passed.
The Court concluded that there was no reason to entertain the PIL, while clarifying that the order was not to be understood as condoning any illegal act by the opposite parties or the University, nor as affecting any other proceedings that may be pending or initiated thereafter.
Appearances:
Petitioner: Ashish Kumar Singh, In Person
Respondents: C.S.C., Shailesh Kumar Pathak (for Bar Council of India)
