Parents Challenge A Private School’s Decision To Expel 32 Students Over Fee Dispute

Delhi Public School

Parents of 32 students expelled by Delhi Public School (DPS), Dwarka, have approached the Delhi High Court, demanding their children’s reinstatement.

The expulsion follows an ongoing fee hike dispute, with parents alleging that the school acted arbitrarily and in violation of due process.

Allegations Of Arbitrary Expulsion

According to the petition, the school disregarded multiple written reminders and complaints sent to the Directorate of Education (DoE). Parents claim that the institution deliberately avoided processing cheques submitted for the approved fee amount and refused to accept further payments.

They allege that the school “arbitrarily and coercively removed 32 minor students from its rolls without prior notice or reasonable justification,” in defiance of both court orders and basic principles of natural justice.

The impact is particularly severe for students in Class X, many of whom had completed pre-registration for their board exams while in Class IX. The mid-year expulsion, parents say, is not only disruptive to academics but also emotionally distressing.

Serious Allegations Of Student Mistreatment

The parents’ plea also contains disturbing claims of mistreatment. They allege that school authorities used bouncers to intimidate children. “The children were ill-treated and were threatened by the bouncers, and then were kept in a bus for two hours, and then finally dropped off at home,” the plea states.

On May 14, 2025, even more bouncers, including female personnel, were reportedly deployed on school premises. Shockingly, the plea notes that “neither the police officials nor any other person in the administration is willing to help,” citing the matter as sub-judice.

Court’s Intervention

This legal action follows the school’s challenge to a directive issued by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on July 18, 2024. The NCPCR had directed the police to file an FIR against the school, based on complaints of student expulsions, publishing their names online, and denying assistance to a menstruating female student. However, the Delhi High Court stayed this order on July 30.

Court’s Previous Rebuke Of The School

Last month, the Delhi High Court issued a stern warning to DPS Dwarka for allegedly confining students in the library and preventing them from attending classes due to unpaid fees. The court described the treatment as “shabby and inhuman,” and observed that the school seemed more like a “money-making machine” than an educational institution. The judge even went so far as to suggest the principal could face criminal prosecution, labeling the treatment of students as a form of “torture.”