Allahabad High Court
PROF. OMPAL SINGHversusSTATE OF U.P. AND 3 OTHERS
- Decided
Holding
A public interest litigation filed by a professor against the college principal for alleged student harassment is not maintainable and is dismissed.
Summary
The petition, filed as a public interest litigation by Prof. Ompal Singh, alleged that the principal of D.A.V. College, Kanpur, was permitting a staff member to harass students by demanding illegal gratification for uploading their research work. The petitioner claimed that complaints to the Higher Education Department had been ignored and attached newspaper clippings about political student protests. The Court examined whether the petitioner had locus standi to file a PIL on behalf of the students. It held that any grievance of harassment must be pursued by the affected students themselves, not by a third‑party professor. Consequently, the Court dismissed the PIL as untenable.
Issues considered
- Whether a professor has locus standi to file a public interest litigation on behalf of students alleging harassment by a college principal
- Whether the alleged facts constitute a matter suitable for adjudication through a PIL
Subjects
- public interest litigation
- locus standi
- PIL dismissal
- education law
- harassment
- administrative law
Judgment
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION (PIL) No. - 1128 of 2026
Prof. Ompal Singh
.....Petitioner(s)
Versus
State of U.P. and 3 others
.....Respondent(s)
Counsel for Petitioner(s) : Raghavendra Singh, Suvarna Singh,
Upendra Singh
Counsel for Respondent(s) : Jagdish Pathak, S.C.
Chief Justice's Court
HON'BLE ARUN BHANSALI, CHIEF JUSTICE
HON'BLE KSHITIJ SHAILENDRA, J.
1. This petition, purportedly in public interest, has been filed by the
petitioner, who claims himself to be an eminent Professor in D.A.V.
College, Kanpur Nagar and an eminent social worker.
2. A perusal of the petition indicates that the allegations have been made
against the Principal of the College seeking to allege that the students are
being harassed by respondent no. 4 by demanding illegal gratification for
the purpose of uploading their research work and related activities.
Further indications have been made that complaints have been made to
the Principal Secretary of the Higher Education Department, however, no
action has been taken. Along with the petition, newspaper cuttings
pertaining to the student wing of a political party raising issues against
respondent no. 4 have been annexed.
3. After going through the petition, we do not find any reason to entertain
the petition at the instance of the petitioner, inasmuch as if the students
are being allegedly harassed, the cause, if any, is for the students.
4. Filing of PIL by the Professor of an Institution against the Principal of
WPIL No. 1128 of 2026
2
the said institution, cannot be countenanced. The same is, therefore,
dismissed.
(Kshitij Shailendra,J.) (Arun Bhansali,CJ.)
May 7, 2026
RK/AKShukla
Digitally signed by :-
ANIL KUMAR SHUKLA
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
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