Live with guilt, fraud degree, says Bombay High Court

"We show full sympathy for your mental condition but cannot do much legally," the Bombay High Court observed on Thursday while rejecting a review petition filed by a guilt-ridden Mumbai University graduate who wants his degree revoked, as he claims he obtained it using fraudulent means.

A division bench of Justice Shantanu Kemkar and Justice MS Karnik turned down the plea of Vaibhav Patil. In his petition, Patil wanted the court to review its own order passed on October 4, 2016 rejecting his plea for revoking his degree. Patil in his petition had claimed that the court in October last year, while rejecting his plea seeking direction to the university to revoke or cancel his degree, had relied on the fact that no evidence of his wrong doing was provided. He argued that he has provided evidence since 2012 but the university has not acted upon it.

The bench asked him to provide details about the wrong-doings in so that a proper probe could be carried out. However, he replied that at the moment he could not. Advocate Rui Rodrigues, appearing for university, argued that no provisions under the Mumbai University Act allowed surrender of degree in the way he wanted, a degree can be revoked if a person is convicted in a criminal case.