The Bombay High Court had on Tuesday slammed the Maharashtra government for its "absolutely shocking" and "radical" reaction to the engineering student's post and for arresting her
Following the Bombay High Court's order, the Sinhgad Academy of Engineering permitted the 19-year-old Pune student to appear for her examinations. Representational pic
The 19-year-old Pune student, arrested for her social media post criticising the Indian government over Operation Sindoor and later released on bail, has appeared for her semester examination under requisite security, her lawyer told the Bombay High Court (HC) on Thursday.
According to PTI, the HC on Tuesday slammed the Maharashtra government for its "absolutely shocking" and "radical" reaction to the engineering student's post and for arresting her.
The court ordered the immediate release of the student, originally from Jammu and Kashmir, from Pune's Yerwada Central Jail, noting the police were "bent upon ruining her life" and turning her into a "hardcore criminal."
It had also suspended the rustication order issued by the student's college, Sinhgad Academy of Engineering, and permitted her to appear for ongoing second-year semester examinations.
According to news agency PTI, the student's advocate, Farhana Shah, had informed a bench of Justices Gauri Godse and Somasekhar Sundaresan that pursuant to the court order, the student was released from jail on Tuesday night.
"The college issued her the admit card on Wednesday, and she has appeared for the exam scheduled on Thursday," Shah said, adding that the student had missed two papers and many practical examinations while in custody.
The court stated that the teenager can submit the necessary application to the college and the Savitribai Phule Pune University, to which the academy is affiliated, seeking special permission to reappear for the missed exams.
"No further directions are required now. The matter shall be placed before the regular bench on June 9," the bench said.
However, following the HC's directives, the college said that special arrangements have been made for the student to appear for exams.
"The girl will be giving her exams in a separate classroom. A separate supervisor will be assigned for her exams, and two security guards—one male and one female—will accompany her on the campus for her safety," the college's principal, Kishor Patil, said.
On the other hand, the High Court, while granting bail to the student on Tuesday, had asked the college management to make special arrangements for her, keeping in mind security concerns.
The controversy began on May 7 when the student, pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering (Information Technology) degree, shared a post on Instagram from an account named 'Reformistan' that criticised the Indian government amid Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror sites in PoK and Pakistan.
However, realising her mistake, she deleted the post and also apologised for her actions.
Despite the teenager deleting the post swiftly, the Kondhwa police in Pune registered an FIR on May 9 and arrested her.
She was later sent to judicial custody and lodged at Yerwada prison. Following the police move, the college had also rusticated her immediately.
Challenging her rustication and seeking quashing of the FIR, the student approached the Bombay High Court.
(With inputs from PTI)
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