‘Recover amount later if you win’: Bombay HC rejects ILS Law School plea against SPPU order fee reduction

The Bombay High Court on Thursday refused to grant immediate relief to ILS Law College in its challenge against Savitribai Phule University Pune(SPPU)’s decision to drastically reduce the ‘other fees’ charged for its three-year and five-year LLB courses.The matter was listed urgently due to the ongoing Common Entrance Test (CET) admission process. ILS had approached the court against SPPU’s communication dated April 30, 2026 fixing the ‘other fees’ at Rs 4,340 for the academic year 2026-27, compared to Rs 36,790 collected by the university in 2025-26.During the hearing, counsel for ILS sought protection from the court and requested permission to continue showing or charging the higher fee amount during admissions. The college also promised to refund the excess amount if his written request ultimately fails. However, the bench refused to pass any such order.The court directed that ILS could inform the CET Cell that the university had fixed the “other fees” at Rs 4,340 and that its challenge to the decision was still pending. The bench further observed that if the university succeeds in the case later, it can try to recover the additional amount instead of charging students the higher fee upfront and then refunding it later.The dispute stems from allegations that ILS had charged “other fees” under heads such as maintenance, facilities and other activities without the required statutory approvals. Following a complaint by a student, the High Court had earlier ordered an inquiry by the state higher education department. After the investigation, the state ordered the college to refund the alleged excess fees.ILS Law Society and the college filed the present petition on June 15, arguing that SPPU’s decision to reduce fees was “arbitrary, unilateral and without any authority” and was taken without giving the institution an opportunity to be heard. The Superior Court will hear the case again on June 29.