A Delhi court has directed the district admission monitoring committees formed by Directorate of Education (DoE) to verify admissions under EWS (Economically Weaker Section) quota after a major scam got uncovered where 137 people, including several school principals, were accused for securing admissions under the scheme illegally.
The DoE will now scrutinise the admissions conducted between 2013 and 2016.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ashish Aggarwal in his order on Wednesday said, “Keeping in view the EWS admissions of years 2013-2014, 2014-2015, and 2015-2016 obtained in the 22 schools investigated so far shall be scrutinised by the authorised district admissions monitoring committees and report be filed before this court as to which admissions have been found to be based on false, fabricated or forged documents”.
Earlier, the DoE was pulled up by the court saying it is the duty of the concerned officers and district administration to verify admissions under the EWS quota.
While no investigation was being conducted, the Court in its earlier order reprimanded police for not raiding the school premises more particularly and colluded with several of them to get admissions under the quota.
After which, the Springdales School Authorities came forward to submit in court that an Investigation officer procured admission for a candidate in its school.
The court had earlier issued notice to 22 schools asking them if the IO or any other police officer had pressurised them after it was alleged that an official had pressurised school authorities to admit children of some police officials and also threatened them if they failed to do so. Regarding this, the court had also ordered a Deputy Commissioner of Police to investigate matter.
The court ordered the probe after the investigating officer (IO) denied the allegations and the prosecution termed them “absolutely false” and “frivolous”. He challenged the allegations made DPS Rohini’s principal, Vibha Singh, the prosecutor said the plea was aimed at “demoralising” the IO who was being “hounded” for diligently doing his duty.
She alleged that the IO had been acting “maliciously” as the school did not “accede” to his request of admitting three children - two of police officers and the other of his sister.
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act enacted in 2009 which made it compulsory for all private unaided recognised schools to give at least 25 per cent of their seats for EWS children. In regard to this, the crime branch had also busted a module in connection with these admissions.