The Supreme Court on Monday cancelled the degrees of 634 doctors and said the admissions obtained through a mass fraud called “Vyapam scam” could not be excused. “The actions of the appellants are founded on unacceptable behavior and in complete breach of rule of law. Their actions constitute acts of deceit… National character, in our considered view, cannot be sacrificed for benefits — individual or societal,” said a bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices Kurian Joseph and Arun Mishra in a judgment.
“If we desire to build a nation on the touchstone of ethics and character, and if our determined goal is to build a nation where only rule of law prevails, then we cannot accept the claim of the appellants (students) for suggested societal gains (by allowing them to keep the degrees on the condition of doing social service free of cost for some years),” the bench added.
“We have no difficulty in concluding in favour of rule of law… Fraud cannot be allowed to trounce, on the stratagem of public good,” said Justice Khehar while writing the united judgment, as per a report in TOI.
The admissions to MBBS courses between 2008 and 2012 were annulled by the MP Professional Examination Board. The bench of Justices J Chelameswar and AM Sapre had found them to be unlawful on May 12 last year. While Justice Sapre ordered cancellation of the admissions and annulling of the degrees, Justice Chelameswar had allowed them to keep their degrees providing they do a social service for a certain period as the students had finished their courses and it would be a national waste to annul the degrees.
The matter was placed before a three-judge bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices Joseph and Mishra considering the split verdict. “Even the trivial act of wrongdoing, based on a singular act of fraud, cannot be countenanced in the name of justice. The present case unfolds a mass fraud. The course suggested, if accepted, would not only be imprudent, but would also be irresponsible. It would encourage others to follow the same course,” Justice Khehar said.
