Mumbai, Oct. 5 (PTI): Vaibhav Patil had an unusual request - he no longer wanted his engineering degree.

So he moved Bombay High Court pleading for a directive to the University of Mumbai to revoke his degree, which he said he had obtained through dishonest means.

But a division bench of Justices Shantanu Kemkar and M.S. Karnik yesterday rejected the engineering graduate's plea on the ground that there was no provision in the University Act under which it could order the degree to be cancelled.

The court also observed that it was rejecting the plea, as it did not want to put the petitioner into further difficulty of facing the prosecution.

Patil said he was disappointed but would accept the order, give up his stand on returning the degree and move on in life.

In his petition, Patil, 26, said he had obtained the BE degree in May 2011 but was feeling restless as he had cleared one subject in the first year by bribing some people involved in a paper leak scam.

Patil said he had no proof to show that he had paid the bribe but his conscience pricked him day and night and he wasn't being able to do anything, like trying for a job or starting a business.

He said he had committed the crime under extreme mental pressure to save his future, but guilt was killing him now and he wanted to surrender the degree to remove a heavy burden from his heart.

Once he returned his degree, he said, he could start something on his own, like a small-time business to make a living.

Patil had also written to the varsity's chancellor. In the letter, annexed to the petition, he said he had approached a student body, but was told that he was no longer a student.