The Delhi High Court on Friday came down heavily on DPS Dwarka for expelling 32 students over alleged non-payment of fees, questioning the manner and timing of the school’s actions.
Justice Sachin Datta, who was hearing a plea filed by the parents of the expelled students, expressed sharp criticism of the school authorities for taking such a drastic step at a critical academic juncture. “You took this action on the last working day. The children have been ousted in the crucial last week. Do you get a sadistic pleasure?” Justice Datta remarked during the proceedings.
The Court questioned the school’s failure to follow due process, particularly under Rule 35(4) of the Delhi School Education Rules, which requires notice to be served to students and their parents before such punitive action is taken. “Where is the notice to each of the 32 students? Show me a document where you informed them that if fees were not paid, they would be removed from the rolls,” the judge demanded.
The school authorities, through their counsel, claimed that they had incurred significant financial losses amounting to ₹49 crore in the previous year. However, this justification did not find favor with the Court, which reserved its order and will take up the matter again on Monday.
The case arises from a petition filed by parents alleging that the school’s decision was not only abrupt but in direct violation of an earlier High Court order aimed at protecting students’ interests. The parents claimed that bouncers were deployed to prevent the students from entering the premises, and that the school had refused to encash cheques submitted toward fee payment, despite repeated reminders.
Allegations also included public shaming of the students, confinement within the library, and in one reported case, a girl being denied assistance during menstruation due to fee arrears—actions that the parents said were violations of child rights.
The plea is part of ongoing litigation involving DPS Dwarka and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). Earlier, the NCPCR had directed the Delhi Police to file an FIR against the school, citing severe misconduct. Though the Delhi High Court later stayed the FIR, it had, in an order dated April 16, already censured the school for harassing and segregating students over unpaid dues and directed that no child be denied access to classes.
Separately, another bench of the High Court has reserved its verdict on a petition by parents seeking the Delhi Lieutenant Governor’s intervention and possible takeover of the school.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Education (DoE) under the Delhi government has instructed the school to readmit the affected students and refrain from any form of coercion or harassment.
The matter will be revisited in court next week, with broader questions of school accountability, fee structures, and student welfare likely to take center stage.
