JUDGMENT :

Heard Mr. O.P. Bhati, learned counsel for the petitioner. Also heard Mr. A.B. Dey, learned Standing counsel, IIT Guwahati.

2. Challenges made in this writ petition are the letter/order NO.IITG/SA/238/2023/140 dated 15.03.2023 issued by the Joint Registrar and HOS (Students Affairs) Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, whereby, studentship of the petitioner is terminated with immediate effect and order NO.IITG/SA/238/2023/328 dated 12.06.2023 whereby, the petitioner has been placed on academic suspension till June, 2024 with a fine of Rs.50,000/-with a rider not to provide hostel facilities and to pay a fine within ten days from the date of receipt of the letter by modifying the order dated 15.03.2023 on appeal.

3. The case of the petitioner, shorn of unnecessary details, is that he is the student of 6th semester of Ph.D and Civil Engineering Department at Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IITG, in short). On 22.02.2023 at about 10.30 p.m., the petitioner along with his four friends namely, Vidya Bhusan, Chandra Mohan Shakya, Vivek Kumar and Mahendra Patel in Room No.B2-201 of Kameng Hostel, IITG, were listening music and having normal conversations, suddenly tw