Mumbai: An 11-year-old girl, the youngest witness to depose before the court in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack case, has been denied admission in a private school which fears that it would become a terror target if she was admitted, claims reports on Tuesday.
"My daughter (Devika Rotwan) has been denied admission in New English High School at suburban Bandra. School authorities say they may face a terror threat as my daughter had deposed as a witness in the 26/11 case," her father Natwarlal Rotwan, a businessman, told reporters Monday night.
The minor girl was injured in firing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) on the night of November 26, 2008. She had identified Ajmal Kasab who went on a firing spree at the railway station, in the court.
"Initially the school authorities said they will give her admission in Class V But later they asked us to submit a letter, along with the admission form, from the government stating that my daughter was injured during the terror attack and should be given admission in the school," he said.
"We were trying to get the letter and in the meantime requested the school management to give admission. The school authorities made me do endless rounds and today they bluntly refused to give admission citing security concerns," he said.
Devika denied admission on valid grounds, says school
The school has denied claims that its decision to deny admission to Devika Rotwan had anything do with her being a witness in the 2008 Mumbai terror
attack case, saying that her application was turned down as she was not
fluent in English.
"Devika did not know English... she has so far studied at
home. When she came for admission, it was apparent that she
was not aware of English. She did not have any knowledge of
English," Amol Dhamdhere, honorary secretary of Indian
Education Society which runs the New English High School,
said.
PTI
