HC asks school, parents to settle dispute; appoints mediator

The Durello Convent school in suburban Bandra and some ex-students' parents have been embroiled in a dispute over allegations that the school authorities, in connivance with local municipal corporator and MLA Baba Siddiqui, were putting paver blocks on the periphery of its playground so that it can be given out for weddings and parties.

The parents approached the High Court stating that this will disallow students from using the ground for sports and other extra-curricular activities.

A division bench of Justices S A Bobde and Mridula Bhatkar today directed the school and petitioners to try resolving the dispute and appointed senior counsel Rajni Iyer as mediator between the two parties.

"Can this not be settled? Everybody has been to school and knows the importance of a playground and sports. We will appoint a mediator who will help resolve this. There is nothing that cannot be solved," Justice Bobde said.

On the last hearing, the school told the court that paver blocks have been put only on the periphery of the ground and no further blocks would be put on its ground measuring 2,000 square meters.

The petition alleges that the work of laying concrete paver tiles on the ground was funded by MLA Baba Siddiqui.