HC questions police presence during sealing of Maxfort School

Delhi High Court today questioned the presence of police force during the Delhi government's sealing process of two branches of a private unaided school in the national capital.
"Why police was required in force? It is a children's school and you go there with SDM and police when you have a court order. Who authorised it?" Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva said.
The court also noted that the lawyer for the Directorate of Education (DoE) was "probably incorrectly instructed" by the department as the court was informed that only record rooms of Maxfort School were being sealed, when as per a video of the process at Pitampura branch, "entire school appeared to be sealed".

"Video (of Pitampura branch) gives indication that entire school was being sealed," the judge said.
The court further said that one of the two local commissioners appointed by it to visit the two schools had in her report alleged that DoE officials put her to hardship and misbehaved with her and also did not provide her a copy of video recording of the Rohini branch of Maxfort school.
"There is no question of misbehaving with court appointed officials," the court said.

DoE in its defence said that police was taken as a precaution as there was apprehension of aggressive behaviour on the part of school authorities.

The bench, however, disagreed and said that as per the video recording of Pitampura branch, there was no aggression on either side and thus, "there was no necessity for police".
The court, thereafter, directed DoE to place on record the video recording of sealing of Rohini branch of the school.
It also directed the department to file its response to the petitions filed by the school challenging the government's move to take them over and listed the matters for further hearing on August 23.
On August 3, the court had directed the DoE to not take
any coercive steps in connection with the department's order, approved by the Lieutenant Governor, to take over the schools.

According to the government, it had decided to take over two branches of Maxfort on the basis of complaints that the school was allegedly violating rules regarding admission of candidates from economically weaker sections (EWS).
As per the government, the school was also facing complaints of maintaining false records and misappropriation of funds, among others.
The school, which has four branches in Delhi, is at present being run by Chadha Educational Society and S Jagat Singh Chadha Charitable Trust.
As per the DoE, it had issued show cause notices to the two branches of the school in April this year asking the authorities to respond.

As per the government, the school is also facing complaints regarding violation of Delhi School Education (DSE) Act, 1973 and Right to Education Act (RTE), 2009.