High Court Orders DME To Return Original Documents To Medical Student

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The High Court, principal bench of Jabalpur, has directed the Director of Medical Education (DME) to return original documents of a postgraduate medical candidate who left his course midway, observing that candidate should not be harassed on account of technicalities when documents were admittedly in authority possession.

HC ordered DME to return original documents before petitioner’s interview scheduled on March 5. As per HC order, it was petition of Dr Ajay Mandloi vs Dr Aruna Kumar, DME director.

The case involved an MBBS graduate who appeared in NEET PG 2020. He was allotted a seat in a government medical college during second round of counselling and joined the course in July 2020.

However, he was unable to continue the postgraduate programme, allegedly due to ragging, nepotism and favouritism. After discontinuing the course, the college retained original documents and demanded Rs 30 lakh under the state’s seat bond policy.

Challenging the action, advocate Aditya Sanghi, appearing on behalf of petitioner, contended that high bond amount was unjustified, particularly when several postgraduate seats remain vacant.

He also referred to discussions in Lok Sabha on February 9, 2024, where Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated that National Medical Commission had advised states to review stringent bond policies.

According to the petition, the graduate had qualified for the post of Medical Officer pursuant to an advertisement dated August 8, 2024, issued by MP Public Service Commission. He received acknowledgement on January 20, 2026, and was scheduled to appear for an interview on March 5, 2026. Submission in the said advertisement was mandatory by February 23, 2026.