Girls confined in school: CM seeks report from Edu dept

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday sought a report from the Education department about the alleged confinement of kindergarten girls in the basement for not paying school fees. The Delhi Police has also registered a case against the school concerned.

"An FIR under section 342 of the IPC and 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of the Children) Act has been registered at Hauz Qazi police station," said ACP, Kamla Market, according to reports. He added that further investigations were on.

Commenting on the matter, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, "The Chief Minister has sought a report on the Rabia Public School issue. He has called up the Secretary and Director of Education for all the facts."

Kejriwal and Sisodia will also visit the educational institute on Thursday to conduct a meeting with the students, parents and the school authorities.

"The Deputy Chief Minister and I will visit the school tomorrow at 10 am. We will meet the kids, their parents and school authorities," Kejriwal said.

The matter came to light after the police were informed by some parents that 16 children were confined to the basement by their teachers between 7 am to 12 pm in central Delhi's Hauz Qazi area.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has taken suo-moto cognisance of media reports of the case. Media reports stated that 59 girls, aged four and five years, were allegedly confined to the basement of the school for around five hours as punishment for non-payment of the fee by their parents.

DCW has issued a notice to Delhi police and Education department in this regard, as well as sought a fact-finding report and details of action taken by both the authorities. The Commission has asked the two to submit their reply by July 17.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Mandeep Singh Randhawa on Wednesday said they are yet to make any arrest in the case and investigation is going on from all angles.

Police sources claimed they have questioned the school staff in this regard. The incident was reported on July 9 and the parents, in their complaint, stated that they dropped off their children at the school around 7 am. When they returned to pick them up around 12.30 pm, the girls were found locked in the basement without proper ventilation.

The parents claimed they had to argue with the staff and take their kids out of the basement. The FIR copy, accessed by Millennium Post, that the children were hungry and thirsty.