UP: Students, parents held captive in Bareilly school over fees dispute, cases lodged

Bareilly: Two cases have been lodged against the management and staff of Hartmann College here allegedly for taking children and parents hostage for non-payment of fees of the education institution, disturbing communal atmosphere and issuing threats.

Coordinator of the institute Shalini Juneja, Manager Jewel Massy, Principal Anil Kullu and teacher Roshan have been named in the FIR lodged at Izzat Nagar police station on Wednesday night.

While an FIR has been lodged after the intervention of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rohit Singh Sajwan, another has been registered on the directives of IG range Ramit Sharma. As a precautionary measure, police force has been deployed outside the college.

The IG said that a complaint of taking children and parents hostage, disturbing communal atmosphere and issuing threats was received. "The SSP has been directed to take action, those playing with the lives of children will not be spared," he added.

He said that one more case has been lodged against the accused at Izzat Nagar police station. "Both the cases have been filed for illegal confinement and criminal intimidation. Few more names may crop up during investigation and some sections of the IPC could be added," he said.

SSP Sajwan said the police will take possession of CCTV footage of the institute in this case.

According to the Izzat Nagar police, the entire incident has been recorded by CCTV. The intelligence agencies have also started investigating the incident after reports of giving provocative speeches and spoiling the communal atmosphere in the school premises has come to the fore.

A report has been sought by the government in the entire matter. A parent Narendra Rana told Sajwan that his children study at Hartmann College. On May 7, when the parents reached the school to take their children back, his child came out crying and told that Shalini Juneja snatched the copies during examination and they were locked inside a store room on the terrace.

Nearly 32-33 students were already locked in the store room. The students were allowed to appear in the examination, only after the parents protested and they were allowed to leave the premises after the police intervened.

SP (City) Ravindra Kumar said that as a precautionary measure, police force has been deployed outside the college. (UNI)