CM seeks report over kids caged in school

New Delhi, July 11

A private school at Ballimaran locked kindergarten students in its basement for five hours for non-payment of fees. This has invited an outrage and prompted CM Kejriwal to demand a report  from the education director. Delhi Commission for Women today issued notice to the police and education department over confinement of minor girls by Rabea Girls School.

An FIR was lodged against the school under sections 342 (wrongful confinement) of the IPC and 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of the Children) Act at Hauz Qazi police station. While there were conflicting reports on the number of children detained in the basement, with some claiming the number to be 59, the police said they received complaints about 16 children.

The incident came to light when parents on July 9 reached the school around 12:30 pm to pick up their wards, but were informed by the school authority about  the children being confined in basement since morning — as per directions from the top —  for defaulting on fee.

“The school is saying children, who had defaulted on paying fee were separated and sent to the activity room that is in the basement. They were kept in proper conditions as per the school. We have called the parents tomorrow,” said the SHO.

Agitated parents, many of whom claim to have paid the fees, decried the school’s “inhuman” treatment. Among them, Muhammad Khalid said “Non clearance of fee does not give the school the right to be inhuman. Little kids were crying incessantly and imagine the affect on their mind. Such behaviour is unacceptable.”

Many parents said the school principal Farah Diba Khan didn’t entertain their grievance on being appraoched. The school authority have denied the charges of confining students stating those who defaulted on fee payment despite reminders were segregated and later sent to the activity room for sometime.

Kejriwal will be visiting the school tomorrow along with his deputy and education minister Manish Sisodia, who too called the act highly inhuman on the part of the school, which is run by Hamdard Education Society..

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari today, accompanied by the Chandni Chowk district BJP president Arvind Garg and others, met the parents protesting there and criticised the Delhi government’s tall claims of improving the education system. — TNS