Four-year-old students locked in Delhi school`s basement over fees dispute

Guardians have alleged that their wards were locked for several hours and once their appeals were not heard by the school management, they resorted to filing an FIR.

New Delhi: In a shocking instance of high-handedness, a school of considerable repute in Old Delhi reportedly locked girls aged four and five for several hours because their parents had failed to pay tuition fees.

The incident took place last week when the guardians of the girls went to collect them from Rabia Girls Public School in the afternoon. When many of them did not find their wards, they complained to the authorities who said that the children had been locked in a basement because the management had not received the fees. A massive uproar erupted with the guardians rushing to file an FIR with the police after their repeated appeals to let set their children free fell on deaf ears.

While police officials have refused to comment on the incident till investigations are over, even school authorities are not commenting and have not put forth their side of the incident yet.

It is reported that the school - a part of Hamdard Group - charges between Rs 2,500 and Rs 2,900 as fees for each child. Some of the guardians have claimed that they even paid the fees in advance and therefore, to keep their children locked absolutely baffled them. Others say that regardless of the reason, the lock children as young as four and five is nothing less than a criminal offence and could scar the children.