The Delhi High Court has closed the door on a former Delhi University professor who sought to turn classrooms into marketplaces.
In a ruling delivered on September 12, Justice Jasmeet Singh upheld the termination of Dr. Thelma J Talloo, once a Reader in Commerce at Jesus and Mary College, who was accused of demanding bribes—including cash and even a pearl necklace—from students in exchange for attendance and inflated marks.
The Court made it clear: demanding illegal favours from students shatters the very foundation of academic integrity. It found the inquiry process against Dr. Talloo to be fair and supported by evidence, noting that the disciplinary bodies had already exercised leniency by reducing her punishment from dismissal to termination—allowing her to keep retirement benefits.
Dr. Talloo had challenged an arbitral award issued in 2012 by the University’s Appeals Committee, which had upheld findings of misconduct. She argued that the charges stemmed from fabricated complaints and personal enmity, further alleging that audio evidence against her was tampered with. She also claimed she was denied a fair chance to defend herself.
The High Court, however, refused to intervene, ruling that no grounds existed to overturn or modify the award. With this, a long-running dispute dating back to 2008—when the bribery allegations first surfaced—has been put to rest.
