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Pratima Das v. State of Himachal Pradesh & Ors.

Not available · 2026 INSC 13Decided 6 Jan 2026
Not available
Justice Vikram Nath · Justice Augustine George Masih

Background

A law student's academic records were seized after a fraud investigation into her university selling fake degrees; her name was mistakenly omitted from an official disclosure list, so the university refused to issue her remaining marksheets and degree.

Decision Breakdown

The university's own affidavit admitted the omission was a clerical error: her name was correctly recorded in its primary internal register, and she had genuinely cleared all ten semesters. Since the university's own records confirmed her entitlement, the Court ordered immediate release of her documents rather than sending her through further litigation.

Lesson Learnt

When an institution's own records confirm entitlement, a clerical error by that institution cannot be used to deny a person their rightful documents through years of delay.

Official source (sci.gov.in)View Judgment (PDF)

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