Chennai- In a significant ruling, the Madras High Court has stayed the rustication order of S. Aslam, a student of Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), Sriperumbudur, providing him interim relief. The case gained attention after the institute rusticated Aslam for allegedly writing slogans like “Jai Bhim” and “Free Palestine” on hostel walls. Justice T.V. Thamilselvi, presiding over the case, not only stayed the rustication order but also permitted the student to continue his education by attending examinations and participating in his internship program.

S. Aslam, a resident of Kollam, Kerala, is a meritorious final-year student pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Work at RGNIYD. According to the petition, Aslam has cleared all his examinations without any arrears and has shown utmost sincerity and commitment to his studies. However, on May 24, 2025 Assistant Registrar Avinav Thakur, along with the hostel warden and assistant warden, conducted an inspection of the hostel premises and found graffiti displaying slogans like “Jai Bhim” and “Free Palestine” on the walls. Subsequently, the institute constituted an enquiry committee.

Aslam alleged that the enquiry committee acted in a biased and illegal manner. The petition stated that on May 25, at around 2:45 p.m., he received a WhatsApp summons to attend an enquiry at 4:00 p.m. However, he was not informed of the specific charges leveled against him. Furthermore, he was denied the opportunity to file a reply or present documentary evidence. The petition claimed that the enquiry was influenced by Avinav Thakur, who allegedly harbored malice against Aslam and other students for exposing a pending sexual assault case against him in Jharkhand.

On May 25, the institute issued an order (RIGNIYD/Admin/2025-2026/058) rusticating Aslam, accusing him of engaging in “anti-national activities.” Challenging this order, Aslam filed a writ petition (WP No. 19760 of 2025) along with two miscellaneous petitions (WMP No. 22188 and 22189 of 2025) in the Madras High Court. The petition argued that the rustication order violated his right to dignity under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

Hearing the petition, Justice T.V. Thamilselvi made significant observations in favor of Aslam. The court noted, “Considering the welfare of the student/petitioner, the petitioner is at fag end of his carrier. If he is not permitted to attend the examination and internship programme it will cause too much hardship to the petitioner.”

Based on this, the court stayed the rustication order and directed the institute to issue a hall ticket to Aslam to attend his examinations, allow him to participate in the block placement programme in the Social Work department, and include him in the institute’s WhatsApp group to continue his education.

The court scheduled the next hearing for June 25, and ordered the issuance of notices to all respondents, permitting private notice as well.