HC directs DoE to file a police complaint against a South Delhi school

In its efforts to avoid an inspection of its premises by the Directorate of Education, a south Delhi school is set to court bigger trouble by allegedly threatening DoE's lawyers. Specifically, the school's representative allegedly threatened to "slash…/kill the DoE officials with an axe." Although the petitioners denied it in court on March 31, the high court directed the DoE to file an FIR and police "to investigate…and file a status report" before the next hearing on May 16.

The court was clear in its intention to not proceed with the hearing of the writ petition till the police files its status report. The school had petitioned HC to "recall" a March 2 order directing DoE to inspect.

The school, which had classes till Grade VIII, had taken DoE to court in 2015 for not permitting it to "upgrade" to Class XII. As per court documents, the conflict was over land. The HC had issued multiple orders-beginning in September 2015-directing DoE to inspect. The court noted both DoE's claims that officials weren't allowed to inspect, and the school's denials.

 The March 2 order said, "Counsel for respondents states that the team of inspectors was not allowed to inspect the petitioners' premises. Though the counsel for petitioners vehemently refutes the statement, this court is of the opinion that the matter would be taken up for hearing only after DoE officials have inspected the plots." DoE was directed to visit the premises at 2pm on March 11 and both parties were directed to "videograph the…proceedings."

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But in reality, none of that was allowed to happened. "It is submitted that after the matter got over and the counsel for the respondents came out of the court, the representative of the school threatened them," said the HC's March 31 order. "The threat is being reproduced herein verbatim: Aap Directorate of Education ke adhikariyon ko mere school mat bhejna, nahin toh main unhe kulhaadiyon se kaat dunga!"