Bombay High Court Grants Relief to Rusticated FTII Student

A student of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Pune, who was rusticated over alleged misbehavior, got some relief as the Bombay High Court on 18 November allowed him to participate in a film shoot mandatory for completion of his diploma.

A bench of Justice Nutan Sardessai and Justice VM Kanade however, refused to stay the rustication order. The bench added that in case the court ruled in favour of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Pune, at the time of final disposal of the case, the student will not be eligible to receive his diploma.

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The bench said that any institute can function smoothly only if students maintain discipline. Indiscipline would result in deterioration of the standard of the institute.

A final year student was rusticated in May 2016. Later on, he had filed a petition and the bench heard his plea. The petitioner, along with several other students, took part in a protest over the extension of tenure granted to a professor of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).

Advocate Priyanka Telang, the counsel for FTII said that the petitioner sent two abusive emails to the head of FTII, actor Tom Alter and to other several senior faculty members. After that, a preliminary inquiry was initiated and the petitioner was expelled from the hostel of the institute.

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The expelled student had approached the Bombay High Court and challenged his suspension. He also sought an interim relief by way of being allowed to take part in a film shoot that is to begin from Saturday and continue in phases over the next month. The student pleaded that the participation in this film shoot was mandatory for all students as to get a diploma. The Bombay High Court is likely to take up the matter in December for further hearing.