The Delhi High Court has disposed of a writ petition filed by a cancer patient after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta voluntarily paid ₹10 lakh in outstanding tuition fees, enabling the petitioner’s son to complete his postgraduate studies abroad. The Court took note of the Solicitor General’s contribution and recorded the assistance provided by the appointed amicus curiae, Senior Advocate Nalin Kohli, and counsel for Canara Bank, Garima Jain, before closing the proceedings.
The petitioner, a cancer patient undergoing an extended course of treatment and facing substantial financial distress, approached the High Court after Canara Bank denied his request for an additional education loan of ₹10 lakh. The petitioner had earlier secured ₹55 lakh in education loan for his son, Puneet Singh, who is pursuing a Master’s degree in Business Analytics at Hofstra University, New York. The petitioner had also mortgaged his DDA flat in Rohini as collateral for the sanctioned loan. The additional sum was required to pay the final tranche of the tuition fees, without which the student would be unable to obtain his degree.
Canara Bank, citing Reserve Bank of India guidelines, declined to disburse the remaining ₹10 lakh, stating that the entire loan amount (₹58 lakh) could not be released without a 15% margin money contribution by the borrower when the loan pertains to foreign education. The petitioner, whose vocal cords were removed during medical treatment, contended that arranging the required margin amount was beyond his financial capacity.
Justice Vikas Mahajan appointed Senior Advocate Nalin Kohli as amicus curiae to assist the Court in resolving the financial impasse. During his interaction with the petitioner, Kohli learned that the maximum amount the petitioner could raise was ₹2 lakh. Kohli himself offered to contribute an equal amount, but the deficit remained unresolved.
Subsequently, when Kohli conveyed his concerns to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the latter expressed empathy and agreed to personally bear the full outstanding amount of ₹10 lakh to enable the student to complete his degree.
Following this development, the matter was brought to the attention of the High Court. Justice Vikas Mahajan was informed of the Solicitor General’s contribution and the efforts extended by amicus curiae Nalin Kohli and Canara Bank’s counsel Garima Jain. Taking note of the resolution achieved outside the formal adjudicatory process, the Court disposed of the petition.
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