Allahabad HC Allows Imprisoned LLB Student To Get Laptop From Outside To Appear For University Online Examination [Read Order]

The student had been lodged in jail being an accused in FIR under Sections 302 and 427 of IPC. He had approached the High Court seeking permission to appear in the online quiz examinations being conducted by his university, as part of internal assessment.

The counsel appearing for the University informed the court that it was decided to conduct 3 online quiz examinations by the university, out of which only the best 2 quiz examinations were to be considered for internal evaluation purposes. While the first quiz exam had ended on May 7, 2020, the second quiz exam was proposed to start on May 8.

The Petitioner had applied to the University on May 3, seeking permission to appear in the online quiz examination. The university had allowed the same and the Petitioner had thus sought permission to appear for the examination from the prison.

The court was informed that two co-accused had also been granted a similar relief by the Court whereby the jail authorities were directed to facilitate them for appearing in the examination. Therefore it was prayed that the petitioner may also be provided with the similar facility for appearing in the online quiz examination.

In view of these submissions, a bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh allowed the Petitioner to appear in the said examination from the jail premises. However, on being informed by the Additional Chief Standing Counsel that the jail does not have adequate Laptops and Computers to be made available to the petitioner, the court directed the Petitioner to arrange his own laptop and appear in the examination.

"Someone from petitioner side will handover a Laptop with Charger to the office of the Senior Superintendent of District Jail, Lucknow today and the Senior Superintendent of District Jail, Lucknow will ensure the internet facility to the petitioner only for the purposes of appearing in the online quiz examination, which is scheduled to be held from today i.e. 8.5.2020," the bench directed.

It further ordered that the laptop will be returned to the Senior Superintendent of District Jail immediately after the examination.

"After online quiz examination is over, the Laptop shall be taken from the petitioner and be kept in the office of the Senior Superintendent of District Jail, Lucknow and he would be given the same again for appearing in the remaining second and third online quiz examinations. The University will re-schedule today's quiz examination for the petitioner and it will inform the same to the petitioner accordingly. The Senior Superintendent of District Jail, Lucknow shall ensure that the petitioner does not misuse the facility and he uses the same for quiz examinations from 9.5.2020 to 16.5.2020 and for rescheduled quiz examination of 8.5.2020," the order states.

Additional Chief Standing Counsel, Shri Ran Vijay Singh, was directed by the court to convey this order to the Senior Superintendent of District Jail, Lucknow.

Case Details:

Case Title: Tarun Singh v. State of UP & Ors.

Case No.: Misc. Single No. 7981/2020

Quorum: Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh

Appearance: Additional Chief Standing Counsel Ran Vijay Singh and Advocate Alok Saran (for Respondents)

Click Here To Download Order