Mussoorie MlA Ganesh Joshi met the State DGP on Friday and expressed anguish over police deployment at Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) office at Karanpur in connection with a case of vandalism reported by a private school authority in Dhara Chowki Police post (Kotwali police station), Dehradun.
He demanded fair investigation into the case. “Those found guilty after the probe is over should be punished,” he said. In connection with a case of vandalism reported by Children’s academy vice-principal Indrajeet Puri on Friday, a case was registered against some unidentified ABVP members under sections 147/148/159/323/504/506 in Dhara Chowki police post.
Acting on this, a police team led by senior police officers up to the rank of circle officer raided ABVP office and began searching the accused. Irked over this, some ABVP members led by MlA Joshi reached PHQ and met DGP BS Sidhu. Joshi said that police should not act in a partisan manner. We would cooperate if a fair probe is held, the MlA said.
According to him, ABVP members had reached the academy when some parents of the academy students had sought help regarding their concerns related to arbitrary and steep rise in tuition fees and admission fees. He alleged that private schools in the city have hiked admission fees and tuition fees without taking the parents on board. It is unfortunate that instead of arresting the accused, police proceeded to raid ABVP office.
“Will police dare raid the Congress Bhawan if congress members carry out protest on a public issueIJ” Joshi asked. He further alleged that Dehradun SSP, SP City had not picked up his call when he tried to contact him over the issue. Earlier too, several cases were registered against the academy owner’s children. Apart from this, the academy’s owner had allegedly encroached gram samaj’s land, he said.
For the past few days, ABVP members have been protesting against private schools against the hike in tuition and admission fees. They also protest against text books being sold in the school campuses. Joshi said when the stir was on, some academy officials tried to hound out the ABVP activists.