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St Stephen's student, whose e-magazine was banned by Principal Thampu, moves HC for character certificate

The student, Devansh Mehta, has contended in his plea that while one of his classmates was issued a provisional certificate with an endorsement of her character, his did not have that detail.

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A student-editor of St Stephens' banned e-magazine on Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court seeking a character certificate and alleging that the provisional graduation certificate issued to him does not certify his character as has been done in the case of others who graduated from the college.

The student has moved the court saying he has secured admission into the Journalism School of Columbia University, USA, and requires his college leaving documents and this requirement is urgent as he leaves for America on July 26.

Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw agreed to hear the matter on July 24 in view of the strike in the high court on Wednesday.

The student, Devansh Mehta, has contended in his plea that while one of his classmates was issued a provisional certificate with an endorsement of her character, his did not have that detail. He said he had written to Principal Valson Thampu on July 13 asking for a corrected certificate to be issued to him but till date he has not received any response due to which he had to move the court.

The court had earlier rapped Thampu over the manner in which he had handled the suspension of Mehta, a Philosophy student and the editor and co-founder of ''St Stephen''s Weekly'' e-magazine, for "violating" discipline and asked him to take back the step. It had also castigated Delhi University for not playing an impartial role in the entire matter. It had said it will appreciate if the matter was resolved "within yourself" as the court does not want to hear the issue again.

The court had asked Mehta and other students to cooperate and try to arrive at an amicable settlement before September 17.

Mehta has contended in his application that he had on one or two occasions requested Thampu for a meeting towards an amicable settlement as was suggested by the court but there has been no response from the Principal.

The court had on April 17 stayed Thampu's order of suspending Mehta and asked whether anyone can be suspended for speaking to the media. It had also stayed the findings of a one-man inquiry committee, appointed by Thampu, which on April 9 held Mehta, a then third-year student, guilty of violating disciplinary norms of the college.

Mehta had been suspended from the college till April 23 following the report of the inquiry committee of Prof Sanjay Rao Ayde. Mehta had moved the court on April 16 seeking a stay on the action against him taken by the college.

Mehta and three other students had started ''St Stephen's Weekly'', which went live on March 7, and registered over 2,000 hits on an interview of Thampu, following which the Principal ordered a ban on the publication for not taking his clearance on the content.

Thampu's move had invited criticism from the reputed college's alumni, including former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi and former Delhi Lokayukta Justice (retd) Manmohan Sarin who had requested the Principal to reconsider the decision, terming it as ''extreme'' and ''disproportionate''.

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