#JusticeLvictoriagowri

The Madras High Court relief for the BA LLB student came after an abrupt enforcement of UGC guidelines barred him from appearing for supplementary examinations.

Justice L Victoria Gowri observed that the liberty of a citizen is not to be weighed lightly merely because allegations are grave and reiterated the settled principle that “bail is the rule and jail is the exception.”

The issue relates to an incident in January where the judge had risen for the day when a lawyer came with a plea relating to the purported illegal detention of his client, the Madras High Court noted.

The prosecution alleged before the Madras High Court that a Class 7 student had alleged that the teacher subjected her to “bad touch” and threatened academic consequences if she disclosed the incident.

India’s secular spirit requires the protection of every faith against unlawful insult, the Madras High Court said, adding that it cannot brush aside such acts during the Lord Kallazhagar Temple procession.