In a decisive move, the Bombay High Court has temporarily barred the Maharashtra government from rejecting the Indian Law Society (ILS), Pune’s proposal to establish ILS University. This directive, valid until July 31, comes amid allegations of governmental inaction on a proposal submitted in November 2022.
A Bench comprising Justices KR Shriram and Jitendra Jain addressed the writ petition filed by ILS, criticizing the government’s delay. ILS argued that it had promptly addressed all concerns raised by the government and reasonably expected a timely decision.
The urgency stemmed from the imminent expiry of the letter of intent (LoI) on June 24, which, if lapsed, would force ILS to incur an additional ₹1 crore. Despite having submitted all necessary details by September 2023, ILS was asked for further information on June 21, a Friday, with a deadline set for the following Monday morning. This tight deadline, spanning a weekend, was perceived as a tactic to harass the petitioner.
The Court noted the apparent intention to inconvenience ILS, with the government’s actions being scrutinized. The state acknowledged that while earlier submissions were found deficient, all necessary details had been provided by ILS in September 2023.
With the government’s request for more time to reply granted until July 28, and time for a rejoinder extended to July 31, the petition is scheduled for admission on August 12. Until then, the government is restrained from rejecting the proposal based on the expiry of the LoI, ensuring the proposal remains active until a lawful decision is made.
Senior Advocate YS Jahagirdar and Advocate SS Kanetkar represented ILS, while Additional Government Pleader PP More appeared for the State and Department of Higher Education.
