Expelled over fee hike issue, teen moves Bombay HC – Times of India

MUMBAI: A suburban school that has expelled a 13-year-old student on Tuesday told Bombay high court that father is to blame as he has indulged in political acts and for five years harassed it over the fee issue.
A bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and Chandrakant Bhadang heard a petition by Ashutosh and his father Arvind Tiwari, an advocate, to set aside the March 25 letter issued by P G Garodia School at Ghatkopar (east) and to direct his promotion to std VIII. It also wants the School Education Department to take appropriate action against the school for violation of the Right to Education Act.
Tiwari is an NCP functionary. He had intervened to support the state government’s resolution against fee hike during the pandemic and also had filed a petition that led to cancellation of ICSE board exams for classes X and XII. The petition, filed through advocate Atal Dubey, says they are “actual two reasons” which have angered the ICSE Board and its affiliated schools.
In March 2021, the high court vacated its stay on the GR and directed that it is with prospective effect. After receiving a final notice for 2020-21, Tiwari paid the entire fee under protest but also questioned the “double-charging and profiteering”. On March 20, the school did not uploaded Ashutosh’s results. On March 25 it sent a letter that it is not accepting the fees paid under protest and has decided not to give Ashutosh admission for the next academic year citing reasons including Tiwari filing false complaints against the school.
“Unfortunately, action of the school is only to stop the voice of the petitioner no 2 (Tiwari) which he raised on the violations of the law by the respondent school,” the petition said, adding that Ashutosh has a good academic record. The school’s advocate said the boy is expelled from the next academic year. “The father has indulged in political acts. He has harassed the school since 5 years. We are a non-aided school. He does not want to pay the fees.” The court granted him time to file a reply and posted the hearing on April 19.