Private School Locks Up Students For Fees Due

Hyderabad: A private school in Hayathnagar locked up 19 students for the fees due and did not allow the students to take the exam which began on Saturday.

A parent lodged a complaint with the police about the confinement at Saritha Vidya Nikethan in Hayathnagar.

"We found the children aged 5 to 14 years, locked in a room. The school management said that the students delayed in paying the fees and are not permitted to write the exam until the fees due is cleared. We released the students and allowed the students to take the exam," said Hayathnagar inspector J. Narender Goud.

"This is not the way to treat the children. If there is an issue, the school management should have called parents. Yes, we have dues, my wife already sought permission from the principal and assured the payment by April, but still they did not allow our children to take exam," said a parent.

Child right activists also condemned the school's behaviour and demanded action against the officials. "This act of the school is a severe violation of child rights and amounts to illegal confinement of children. We demand a criminal case against the school management," said activist Achyuta Rao.

Police have registered a case under the Juvenile Justice Act against the school management. Investigation is under way.