‘Take back my degree, I cheated’

A 26-year-old engineering graduate has moved the Bombay high court seeking that the University of Mumbai (MU) authorities be directed to take back his degree, which he said was secured in May 2011 via fraudulent means. According to the student, Vaibhav Patil, he had allegedly paid a bribe in 2011 to obtain his engineering degree.

The HC has asked MU’s lawyer to file an affidavit stating the policy of the university in such matters, and also whether it would revoke the degree. According to Mr Patil, his conscience has been pricking him ever since he secured the degree thanks to unfair means and that is why he wants to return it. He added that he approached the court after certain university officials told him to consult a psychiatrist if the issue was troubling him.

Mr Patil’s move may have put the university in a bind. Speaking to The Asian Age, MU’s lawyer Rui Rodrigues said, “While there is a provision under the Maharashtra University Act to revoke a degree, there is no provision related to the surrender of a degree.”

In a letter to the chancellor of the university, which was annexed to his petition, Mr Patil said, “For the past four years, I have been trying to forget this incident, but I could not do so. Even today, I don’t feel normal. I am mentally disturbed due to this one incident.”

In the letter, Mr Patil also confessed, “I failed in one subject in the second year of my engineering course. But I had managed to clear that subject after paying money to someone.” He added that he had committed this act under severe mental stress to save his future.

Mr Patil said that he tried seeking the help of a psychiatrist, but that did not help him recover.

In his petition, Mr Patil said that he obtained his B.E. degree from MU in May 2011, but added that he is now feeling restless since he had cleared a paper after paying a bribe to the beneficiaries of a paper leak scam.

A bench headed by Justice S.S. Kemkar has asked Advocate Rodrigues to file an affidavit after two weeks, stating the policy of the university in such matters and whether it would take back the degree or not.

Mr Patil said he had no proof to show that he had paid the bribe. But since his conscience pricked him all day long, he was unable to concentrate on anything or even seek a job, he added. He said that he thus wanted to return the degree and ease his conscience, which would help him get on with his life.

Mr Patil, who appeared in person, also told the court that he had already wasted a few years pleading with the university to take back his degree, but MU authorities had instead advised him to consult a psychiatrist.

He had apparently also approached a students’ body, but its members told him that they could not take up his case since he was no longer a student.