Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Delhi University has withheld the LLB degree and marksheets of former DU Students Union president Ronak Khatri over alleged unpaid guesthouse and catering bills incurred during his tenure, amounting to around Rs 9 lakh.Khatri completed his LLB from Campus Law Centre in 2024-25 and demitted office as DUSU president on Aug 16 last year. Subsequently, in Nov and Dec, the DUSU office issued notices to him for clearing the dues. A notice dated Nov 17 listed University Guest House bills totalling Rs 1,38,310 for bookings made between Feb and Aug 2025. The following day, another notice detailed International Guest House and catering bills amounting to Rs 7,63,245 for bookings made during the same period.In the second notice, issued by the staff adviser of DUSU, Khatri was informed that “you will not be issued your marksheet or degree till the pending payment is not made by your side” . On the same day, the staff adviser also wrote to the controller of examination directing that the “release of degrees and marksheets… shall be withheld until the pending payments are cleared”.Khatri told TOI that the bookings were made in his official capacity for student union programmes and needed to be paid through the DUSU funds. “These bookings were made for student union activities after seeking permission from university officials and under the supervision of the staff adviser. The expenses were meant to be cleared from the DUSU funds. Holding me personally liable is untenable,” he claimed. Calling the withholding of his degree illegal, Khatri added that the move had affected his career prospects as he couldn’t enrol with the bar council without his degree.DUSU staff adviser Surender Kumar denied granting approval for booking International Guest House. “International Guest House does not fall under the venues permitted for DUSU activities that can be paid from the DUSU fund. No approval was given by me for such bookings,” he claimed. On the timing of the notices, he said that once the guesthouse forwarded the bills, which had to be cleared through the vice-chancellor’s office, “the order was issued for recovering the amount from the office bearer concerned”.Khatri has challenged the university’s action before Delhi High Court, which has issued notice to DU and listed the matter for hearing in March.
