The Delhi High Court has closed proceedings on a writ petition filed by a cancer patient after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta voluntarily paid ₹10 lakh in outstanding tuition fees, allowing the petitioner’s son to complete his postgraduate education abroad.

The petitioner, a cancer patient undergoing prolonged treatment and facing acute financial hardship, had approached the High Court after Canara Bank refused to sanction an additional education loan of ₹10 lakh.

The loan was needed to pay the final instalment of tuition fees for his son, Puneet Singh, who is pursuing a Master’s degree in Business Analytics at Hofstra University, New York. Previously, the petitioner had secured a ₹55 lakh education loan from the bank and had mortgaged his DDA flat in Rohini as collateral.

However, citing Reserve Bank of India guidelines, Canara Bank denied the additional disbursal, stating that a 15% margin money was mandatory for education loans abroad, and that the sanctioned ₹58 lakh could not be fully released without the borrower’s contribution. The petitioner, whose vocal cords were surgically removed during treatment, told the Court that he was unable to arrange the required margin money due to his financial condition.

To assist in resolving the issue, Justice Vikas Mahajan appointed Senior Advocate Nalin Kohli as amicus curiae. Upon engaging with the petitioner, Kohli found that the maximum the petitioner could contribute was ₹2 lakh. Kohli then offered to match that amount from his own resources, but the shortfall still remained.

When Kohli brought the matter to the attention of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Mehta responded with compassion and offered to personally pay the full ₹10 lakh outstanding amount, ensuring that the petitioner’s son could complete his studies.

The High Court was subsequently informed of the development. Justice Mahajan recorded the voluntary gesture of the Solicitor General and acknowledged the assistance provided by amicus curiae Nalin Kohli and Canara Bank’s counsel, Garima Jain. In light of the matter being resolved outside the judicial process, the Court disposed of the petition.