Delhi HC issues show-cause notice to school for disallowing students from online classes over fee

A single-judge bench of Justice Pratibha M Singh, while hearing a contempt petition filed by the father of two students of the school on Friday, issued a show-cause notice and directed the principal and the chairperson to join the hearing through video conferencing on August 7.

The Delhi High Court has issued a show-cause notice to the principal and chairman of a private school in the national capital for disallowing two students from taking online classes over non-payment of fee.

A single-judge bench of Justice Pratibha M Singh, while hearing a contempt petition filed by the father of two students of the school on Friday, issued a show-cause notice and directed the principal and the chairperson to join the hearing through video conferencing on August 7.

The bench, after hearing the detail submission of the petitioner’s counsels, also asked why contempt action be not initiated against the school for not complying with the court’s order.

The father of the two students, in his contempt plea, said that he was not even permitted to deposit the fee online as the petitioner’s access to the portal of the school had been blocked due to non-payment of fee from April 2020 till June 2020.

The counsel for the petitioner submitted that in fact the examinations have also commenced and petitioner are also being deprived of taking the said examinations. The High Court opined that the school ought to have immediately complied with the order.

Notably, the Delhi High Court had in its earlier order directed the school to the petitioner access to the school portal immediately so that the students can attend online classes.

“The petitioner shall deposit the fee in the school within one week. During this entire period, access to online classes shall not be stopped to the petitioner. The petitioner shall be permitted to participate in all the activities of the school which are being conducted through virtual/online classes without any hindrance whatsoever,” the earlier order had said.

The court had also noted that “the careers of children is paramount” and directed that the school shall intimate the petitioner as to how much fee is payable up to date within a period of one week.