Bombay High Court Orders Probe into Alleged Casteism at Renowned ILS College Pune
Mumbai, 9th July 2024: The Bombay High Court has directed the Directorate of Higher Education, Maharashtra State, to investigate allegations of casteism at the prestigious ILS Law College Pune, renowned nationwide. The court’s order follows a complaint from more than 118 current and former students of the college, who expressed concerns about institutional casteism and other serious issues.
The students and alumni addressed a letter to Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay on May 21, outlining various allegations including institutional casteism, ragging, sexual harassment, bullying, favoritism, and mistreatment of minority students. The letter specifically accused the college of giving preferential treatment to students from the Maharashtrian Brahmin community, particularly in appointments to various posts.
The complainants also claimed that for the past three years, the college administration has prohibited the Phule-Ambedkar Memorial Lecture, which honors social reformers Jyotirao Phule and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The letter further alleged that non-Brahmin students, despite their merit, faced indifference and hostility for trivial reasons. It was highlighted that Brahmin students received preferential treatment in recruitment processes.
The allegations have prompted the High Court to seek a thorough inquiry into the matter to ascertain the validity of the claims. The Directorate of Higher Education, Pune, has been tasked with conducting the investigation and reporting the findings.
A Registrar (Judicial) of the Bombay High Court recently asked the Maharashtra government to investigate allegations of institutional casteism, hooliganism, favoritism, sexual harassment, and ragging raised by students of ILS Law College, Pune.
