Tamil Nadu dental college agrees to refund Rs 48 lakh fees to Iranian students

CHENNAI: The management of Asan Memorial Dental College and Hospital in Kancheepuram district has agreed to refund Rs 48 lakh to the Iranian students who were admitted without writing the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and sent out later.According to advocate R C Paul Kanakaraj, the college had admitted about 15 such Iranian students in the first year BDS course. The students, however, had not appeared for the NEET. Following a communication from the Dr MGR Medical University, which pulled up the college management over the issue, the college removed them subsequently. But the fees collected from the students were not returned.

One such affected student Naseer Hamidavi Zegheiri moved the Madras High Court and the college management refunded Rs 5.50 lakh to him in the presence of Justice P N Prakash, a couple of days ago and the remaining 14 students approached the Court. In this connection, they met Consul General of Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammed Haghbin Ghoni in Hyderabad and he appeared before the judge on Thursday. Senior counsel of the college told the judge that the institution would refund the fees paid by 13 other students. One Daniel Vazirzadh had not paid the fees, he added.

Assistant Solicitor General Karthikeyan submitted that the Union government would extend help to the Iranian students to get back their money. The college counsel gave an undertaking to the judge that except Vazirzadh, who was alleged to have not paid any amount, the fees paid by all other students would be refunded before June 11, when the matter would be taken up again.