Transgender Person Moves Madras High Court Alleging Medical College Withheld Original Documents, Demanded Arbitrary Fee

Justice C Kumarappan has issued notices, returnable by 7^th August, 2025, to the Health and Family Welfare Department, Social Welfare and Woman Empowerment Department, Directorate of Medical Education and Research, Committee on fixation of fee in respect of Self-Financing Professional Colleges, National Medical Commission, TN MGR Medical University, TN Medical Council and Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital.

The notice has been issued on a plea filed by Vignesh D alias Gargi seeking directions to the authorities to take action against Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital and ensure that the original school educational documents are returned to the petitioner. The plea also calls for ensuring that the internship log book of the petitioner is accepted and to ensure that the final certificate of compulsory rotating medical internship, attempt certificate, transfer certificate, course cum conduct certificate is issued to the petitioner.

The petitioner also calls for directions to the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University to constitute a committee accessible for transgender persons at the University level as per Rule 10(8) of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) rules 2020.

The petitioner submitted that they were admitted to the medical college in 2019 under the Telugu minority seat in management quota. The petitioner submitted that at the time of admission, the original school documents were submitted to the college which were to be returned at the end of the MBBS programme. The petitioner claimed that all pending dues had been paid to the college for the five-year course.

After opening up to the college as a transgender person, the petitioner requested for a gender-neutral accommodation/hostel. When this request was not acted upon, the petitioner sought the intervention of the District Collector, following which a separate room was allocated to the petitioner in the men's hostel.

The petitioner submitted that thereafter, the petitioner's father received a call from the college informing that Rs. 4,50,000 was pending towards 'development fee' and if the fee was not paid, the petitioner's biometric attendance would be removed and documents withheld. The petitioner submitted that this demand was arbitrary since the college itself had accepted, in one of the bills, that all outstanding fees from the petitioner had been received by way of a government scholarship.

The petitioner further submitted that, though requests were made to the college to waive this fee, it was not acted upon. The petitioner submitted that they were a victim of constant harassment in the college due to their gender identity.

The petitioner has also submitted that due to the arbitrary demand by the college, the petitioner was unable to appear for the NEET-PG counselling, which is to be conducted in August 2025. The petitioner also submitted that since the provisional registration with the medical council has expired, the petitioner is unable to find employment, thus affecting their livelihood.

Case Title: Vignesh D v. The Health and Family Welfare Department and Others

Case NO: WP No. 26062 of 2025 (and connected cases)