Agartala, July 18 (TIWN): The division bench of Tripura High Court headed by Chief Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice SC Das today asked the Director of Medical Education and Chairman of Tripura Board of Joint Entrance Examination (TBJEE) to appear before the court on July 31 next to clarify the alleged malpractice in the allotment of medical and engineering seats defying the state government's own reservation policy.

In a petition, Sreyata Das and Subrata Das stated the TBJEE has allotted seven seats to SC and ST students from the reserved category seats even as they are supposed to get seats from UR category.

As per the government's reservation policy, meritorious SC/SC students, who have scored at par with other students in the joint entrance examinations should be allotted seats from UR category, they said in the petition. But the government did not do so leading to deprivation of seven ST/SC students.

After hearing the case, the division bench comprising Chief Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice SC Das expressed dismay over the role of the Director, Medical Education and TBJEE in regard to the allotment of engineering and medical seats.

They have been asked to appear before the bench on July 31 to clarify on the alleged malpractice in the allotment of medical and engineers seats defying the state government's own reservation policy. The court will deliver its judgment on the issue on the same day.

Advocate Arun Kanti Bhowmik, who moved the case in favour of petitioners, said the division bench today expressed dismay over the government move which violates its own reservation policy.

Mr. Bhowmik further said, the bench asked the petitioners to give a notice on local media inviting students, who have already got medical or engineering seats this year, to express their views on the issue if they have, before the court on July 31.

Besides clear instruction by the High Court on the similar nature of case last year, the government flouted its own reservation policy by depriving meritorious SC/ST students and this could be seen as contempt of court, he said.