Bengaluru police have taken legal action against a private school in the city following allegations of fraudulent admission practices. An FIR was registered on Tuesday against Euro School located on Gunjur Road for allegedly collecting substantial admission fees from a parent by falsely claiming to possess all necessary government affiliations and approvals.
Parent's Allegation and Sequence of Events
The case stems from a complaint filed by P Indu, a 35-year-old resident of Gunjur. According to the FIR registered at the Sarjapur police station, Indu approached Euro School on November 8 to secure admission for her seven-year-old daughter in Class 2.
She initially paid an application fee of Rs 1,000 and submitted the required form. Indu stated that both the school counsellor and the principal assured her that the institution had all the mandatory permissions and licences from the education department. However, when she requested to see these documents, the authorities allegedly told her they would be produced only after the payment of the admission fee.
Trusting the school's assurances, Indu proceeded to pay Rs 25,000 as admission fees via an online transaction on the same day. Despite the payment, the school failed to produce any permission or licence documents for her verification.
Official Intervention and Police Action
After being denied the documents, the aggrieved parent escalated the matter. She approached the local Block Education Officer (BEO) and the Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) with formal complaints. However, no immediate action was taken by these education department officials.
The situation changed when Vivekananda M, the DDPI of Bengaluru South, reviewed the complaint. He confirmed to The Indian Express that Euro School had not taken the necessary permissions from the education department. Following his review, he directed the police to file a First Information Report (FIR). "I have also asked the Anekal BEO to submit a report in this regard," Vivekananda added.
Acting on the directive, the Sarjapur police registered the case under Section 33 of the Karnataka Education Act, which deals with the registration of recognised educational institutions, and Section 318 (4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), pertaining to cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property.
School's Silence and Broader Context
Attempts by The Indian Express to contact the Euro School management for their version of events were unsuccessful. The management did not respond to repeated calls. A subsequent call to the school's admissions section yielded little information, with a representative stating that the principal's contact number was not available.
A police officer involved in the case highlighted the parent's primary concern: "The woman is worried that her daughter's education is in jeopardy." The police have issued a notice to the school authorities, summoning them to appear before the police with all necessary documents for verification.
This incident occurs against the backdrop of the ongoing admission season in Bengaluru, where many private schools began issuing application forms as early as October of the previous year. The case underscores the vulnerabilities parents can face during the admission process and the critical importance of verifying a school's credentials before making any financial commitment.
