Delhi HC orders JNU to provide free accommodation to visually impaired student facing eviction

The Delhi High Court has directed Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to allow a visually impaired student evicted from the hostel, to stay in a campus guest house without any charges temporarily.

The court order came after the student's counsel revealed that though interim accommodation was provided as per the court's prior order, the student, who is 100 percent visually impaired, was being charged Rs 100 per day, exceeding his financial means.

Justice Hari Shankar granted the university a final opportunity of 10 days to respond to the petition challenging the eviction of Sanjeev Kumar Mishra from the hostel.

The challenge is based on the grounds that applicable rules prohibiting hostel accommodation for a student pursuing a second postgraduate course should consider individual physical disabilities.

Advocate Rahul Bajaj, representing the petitioner, argued that applying such rules without considering individual disabilities is unjust.

Following the petitioner's counsel telling the court that JNU was charging Rs 100 per day for accommodation, the high court had, on 22 January, directed the university to allow the student to stay in the room provided without any fees until the next date of hearing.

Earlier, on 4 January, JNU's counsel had offered temporary accommodation for Mishra, and the court had said this interim arrangement was solely to prevent the petitioner from enduring ongoing hardship. Now, the court has listed the case for further hearing and disposal on 12 February, directing both parties to hand in their written submissions.