The News Minute| November 18, 2014| 09.42 am ISTNinety minutes was what a girl was given to reach Madurai from Chennai, a distance of 450 kms, to join for BDS in a private college in September.Failing to do this impossible task, the girl was informed that she lost her BDS seat and could not join in that academic year. The girl approached the Madras High Court and on Tuesday the court asked the college officials to pay Rs. 5 lakh as compensation to the girl, the Times of India reported. At 3 pm on September 30, AE Durga of Chennai was given the admission letter to join for BDS in Best Dental Science College in Madurai and was asked to report by 4.30 pm the same day to complete the admission procedures. Upon reaching the next day she learnt that her seat had been considered as lapsed because she had not turned up the previous day within ‘ninety minutes’ of the receipt of the admission letter. She was also told that the seat was allotted to someone else under the management quota. On Tuesday the single bench of the Madras High Court slammed the officials of the dental college and asked them to pay the girl a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh.“Even if she owned a private jet, it would not have been possible for her to reach Madurai before the closing hours of the office of the Best Dental Science College on the same day,” the judge said. “Though she is not entitled to admission in view of non-availability of vacancies, she cannot be left without a remedy, especially after I have found that she was not at fault and that the selection committee was at fault. She is a candidate belonging to the scheduled caste. Her dreams of a great future were lit up for a short while, but was blown off within a few hours. Therefore, the selection committee is obliged to compensate her in monetary terms,” the judge said.