Mumbai University initiates inquiry against Lord’s Law College

The University of Mumbai has initiated an inquiry against Lord’s Law College and asked the affiliation section to conduct an investigation into the college’s permissions for continuation. According to university officials, the step has been taken after the college failed to comply with the directions of the grievance committee to refund excess fees collected by the college for the three and five-year courses from students.

According to Saurabh Mashelkar, president of the student wing of the Citizen Forum for Change, an NGO working on exposing the high-handedness of educational institutions based on the RTI queries with the Bar Council of India and University of Mumbai, it was found that the college’s BCI approval had lapsed in 2013 and it was charging fees in excess of the recommended amount by the university.

“We had filed a complaint with the Students Grievance Cell of MU regarding the fees hike and lack of facilities in Lords College of Law. Following the July 7, 2015 complaint, a hearing was held by the law department of the university. The college management did not attend the hearing on August 3, 2015. Subsequently Dr. Ashok R. Yende, former head, department of law, wrote a letter to the Students Grievance Cell to take up the matter seriously as the college authorities was absent during the hearing. The Students Grievance Cell sent a three-member fact finding committee that after inspection found many irregularities in the college,” said Mr Mashelkar. The Students Grievance Cell of MU passed an order against the college to return the fees and provide other necessary facilitates that the college failed to comply with.

Due to the refusal of the college to refund the fees, the students of the college along with the NGO met various authorities and apprised them of the situation, following which the registrar Dr M.A. Khan forwarded the issue to the affiliation department.

“As the college has remained adamant and has refused to comply with the SGC order, the affiliation section has been asked to initiate proceedings against it. A decision to de affiliate the college will be taken after that,” said Dr Khan.