Delhi HC Reserves Order on Plea by Parents of Expelled DPS Students
The Delhi High Court on Monday, May 19, reserved its verdict on a plea filed by the parents of 32 students from Delhi Public School (DPS), Dwarka, who were expelled over a fee hike dispute.
A bench led by Justice Sachin Datta briefly heard the arguments of counsels appearing for DPS Dwarka as well as the parents of the children who had been expelled.
In the last hearing, the court had considered staying DPS Dwarka’s decision to expel 32 students.
While questioning the action taken by the school, the bench led by Justice Sachin Dutta had asked whether show cause notices were issued to the parents before expelling their children.
The plea before the court has been moved by parents of 32 students who were allegedly expelled by DPS, Dwarka, in connection with a dispute over a fee hike.
Filed by Advocate Manoj Kumar Sharma, the plea seeks the immediate reinstatement of the expelled students. The plea highlights that despite a Delhi High Court order wherein it had criticised the school for harassing students over alleged non-payment of increased fees, the names of the students were struck off the rolls.
As per the plea, bouncers were placed outside the school to prevent the students from entering the premises.
Pointing out that many of the students who had been expelled are in class 10, the plea states that such an expulsion jeopardises their career as some of them have already completed their pre-registration for board exams.
It has been further argued by the parents that the school did not accept the approved fee even when they tried to pay through cheques, adding that the school also withheld the online account details in order to pressure them into paying higher fees.
On 16 April, the Delhi High Court had slammed the school for taking any coercive or discriminatory action against its students who were allegedly in arrears of fees. The application was filed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights seeking a restraining order against the school from taking any coercive actions against the students, who are allegedly in arrears of fees.
The bench of Justice Sachin Datta had noted, “Inspection report reveals a very disturbing state of affairs inasmuch as in view of the subsisting controversy / dispute regarding the fees chargeable, the school is subjecting the concerned students, who are of tender age, to considerable indignity and harassment”.
An inspection of the concerned school was conducted under the chairmanship of the District Magistrate, along with a team comprising senior academicians and officials from the Directorate of Education, Delhi. The inspection report revealed a highly disturbing state of affairs. Due to an ongoing dispute regarding the fees chargeable, the school subjected several young students to indignity and harassment.
Case title: DPS Dwarka vs. National Commission For Protection Of Child Rights