Maharashtra Government to Revoke ILS Pune Fee Refund Directive
In a recent legal development, the Maharashtra government has decided to withdraw its earlier directive requiring the Indian Law Society (ILS) Law College in Pune to refund alleged excess fees. This decision led to the Bombay High Court dismissing the petition filed by the college, which had challenged the government’s order. This case is formally documented as Indian Law Society v. State of Maharashtra & Ors.
During the hearing, the State’s legal representative informed the court of the government’s intention to formally annul the controversial communications issued in April. The Bench, comprised of Justices R.I. Chagla and Advait Sethna, acknowledged the government’s statement and resolved the plea accordingly.
According to the court order, “The additional government pleader states on instructions that the communications of April 13 and 15, 2026, will be recalled and a fresh communication will be issued.”
Background of the Case
The legal dispute arose when ILS Law College contested the communications dated April 13 and 15, 2026, which demanded the college to refund ₹1,04,863 plus interest to Mayur Garud, an alumnus. Garud claimed that the college had collected unauthorized fees under unspecified headings for the academic years 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2024-25.
ILS contended that the government’s directive was issued without proper jurisdiction and was based on a biased and undisclosed inquiry report. The college further argued that it had not been provided the committee’s report nor any reasoned decision from the competent authority, thus breaching the High Court’s previous order from February 12. This order had stipulated that the State’s decision should be confined to the specific complaint of refunding Garud’s fees.
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ILS also criticized the three-member committee for overstepping its bounds by evaluating issues beyond Garud’s complaint and accused the State of merely forwarding the committee’s opinions without independent assessment.
Next Steps
In today’s proceedings, the Maharashtra government committed to supplying ILS with a copy of the disputed inquiry report. Additionally, the government pledged to conduct a fresh personal hearing involving all parties concerned and issue a new order within four weeks.
This development provides a temporary resolution to the contentious issue of fee refunds at ILS Law College, while also emphasizing the importance of procedural fairness and transparency in administrative actions.
