DPS Dwarka bars entry to 32 students with bouncers; parents move HC

This comes a day after the Directorate of Education (DoE) had ordered the school to immediately reinstate the affected students and abide by an earlier Delhi high court’s directions issued on April 16 and “not to harass students” and “restrain from taking any coercive action”.

Bouncers at the school

According to the parents, the school in order to circumvent the April 16 high court order removed the names of 32 children from the school rolls on May 9. “It had sent an email at 4.08 pm knowing that 10th, 11th and 12th are a holiday and restrained these children to enter inside the school on 13th morning,” the parents said in their petition.

The parents alleged that the school had bouncers outside the school to stop these students from entering and it is all part of a “pre-planned conspiracy”.

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A report in Bar and Bench said, “… the children were ill-treated and were threatened by the bouncers and then were kept in a bus for two hours and then finally dropped back home,” the parents alleged.

In their petition, the parents described the use of bouncers as an “unhealthy, dirty and inhumane” practice, and sought urgent intervention from the court, the DoE and the Lieutenant Governor to take over the school’s administration.

Flouting DoE's directive

Another news report said that heavy security presence was spotted at the school gate, where four males and two female bouncers were seen vetting students.

Parents alleged that almost all of the 32 children were not allowed to enter the school despite clear orders from the education department. They also claimed that no DoE official was present to enforce the order.

The DoE's directive, issued late Thursday (May 15) evening after the parents approached the Delhi high court, had stated that the school had violated high court orders, which had barred any unauthorised fee hikes and ordered the schools not to discriminate against students over fee disputes.

The department told DPS Dwarka to revoke their decision to expel 32 students and to ensure that no child is harassed or denied education. "No child should suffer because of the difference in payment of fee,” the DoE stated.

The DoE also asked the school to file a compliance report within three days. However, on May 16, the school's actions indicate that they have flouted the instructions of the DoE.

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Meanwhile, a plea was filed by DPS against the order of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) directing the Delhi Police to file an FIR against the school. However, this order to file an fir was stayed by the high court.

Discrimination

The parents alleged that DPS Dwarka discriminated against the students confining them to the library, naming them publicly and were not allowed to access to the canteen. Their washroom visits were also closely monitored as a form of punishment for non-payment.

Parents also alleged that students were removed from school rolls without notice and sent home in buses without parental consent.

High court order

However, in an earlier high court order passed on April 16, Justice Sachin Datta had come down heavily on the school over its decision to separate and harass students who did not pay the fee.

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They were ordered not to stop any student from attending classes. The HC had termed DPS Dwarka’s action against students “a very alarming state of affairs” and pulled up the school for using the institution as a “money-making machine”.

Justice Datta had restrained DPS Dwarka from engaging in any discriminatory practices against students, who had protested about the fee hike. The HC had also directed the school not to prevent such students from interacting with others or subject them to any form of prejudice or humiliation.

DoE supports parents

After the parents of 32 students approached the court, the DoE submitted before the court of Justice Vikas Mahajan on Thursday that it is “supporting” the petitioners. Its counsel, Sameer Vashisht, referring to the school expelling 32 students, told the court, “What is the hurry, why are they (DPS Dwarka) overreaching the court?”

During the brief hearing, Justice Mahajan suggested that parents deposit 50 per cent of the hiked fee. However, the petitioners did not agree to this proposal citing their inability to pay. Their counsel, Sandeep Gupta, informed the court that a related matter on the reinstatement of 32 students who had been expelled over non-payment of hiked fee, was listed before another bench, headed by Justice Sachin Datta, on Friday.

Atishi intervenes

Delhi’s Leader of Opposition Atishi too has stepped in to write to Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta seeking action against the school and calling for a freeze on all private school fee hikes for the 2025-26 academic year, until an audit of school accounts is completed.