Staff, students and parents stage protest

Mysore/Mysuru: Two days after the Education Department took over the School reportedly as per a High Court (HC) order, the students, parents and  staff of Farooqia Girls High School located on Dawood Khan Street in Lashkar Mohalla staged a demonstration in front of the School this morning, strongly opposing the action of the Education authorities.

They argued that the DDPI and the BEO had illegally shut down the school premises despite the educational institution getting a stay and Injunction Order by a city Court.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Rifa-Hul Muslimeen Educational Trust (RMET) member and School Superintendent Nabeel Mohammad Khan said that the then Government in 1992 had leased out the school building to RMET for running the school. But opposing this, some persons moved the Court by filing a PIL against the lease in 1994. After hearings in the local Court and the HC, the High Court in 2008 ruled that the option to extend or terminate the lease period rests with the Government. But there was no problems since then till a couple of months ago, when in April this year, the DDPI and the BEO suddenly asked the Trust to vacate the school premises, without any notice. Questioning the Education Department’s action, the RMET again moved a city Court and succeeded in getting a stay and Injunction Order in its favour on June 30. But still, the authorities have taken over the School all of a sudden, which is illegal, Nabeel Khan claimed and urged the Education Department to hand over the School back to RMET.

Meanwhile, according to DDPI Ramachandra Raje Urs, the School premises, which was in control of an educational trust for the past 22 years, has been taken back following a Court order.

Pointing out that the premises, which is located on a 11,740 Sq.ft plot with 12 class rooms,  was temporarily leased out 22 years ago to RMET for running Farooqia Girls High School and Composite Pre-University College, Urs said that after the lease period had expired several years ago, the management should have returned the premises to the Education Department. But the RMET, instead of vacating the school premises, moved the High Court seeking a stay. The HC after hearing the case,  ruled in favour of the Education Department. Though years had passed since the HC ruling, the previous officials had not bothered to reclaim the School premises. Now, they wrote to the Department Commissioner and brought the issue and the High Court order to the notice of the Department. Subsequently, following directions from the Government, the Department reclaimed the School premises under tight Police security a couple of days ago, the DDPI maintained.