Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): An FIR has been filed against a private English medium school in Jabalpur for allegedly charging exorbitant fees from the students, leading to irregularities worth Rs 25 crore. The probe revealed that this money was used to buy expensive vehicles and fund foreign trips.
Collector Deepak Saxena, on Monday, issued the order against Joy Senior Secondary school for violating the fee cap fixed by the district administration and charging higher fees for six years in a row.
Acting on the order, Jabalpur police arrested president Akhilesh Mebin and secretary Anurag Srivastava of Joy Senior Secondary Society.
Parents' hard-earned money used for Dubai trip
The committee, in its investigation, found that starting academic year 2017-18 to current year, the school had illegally collected an additional ₹25 crore in fees.
This money was allegedly used for personal luxuries, including opulent vehicle purchases and foreign trips to Dubai. The audit report revealed that the school provided false information regarding its financial dealings and pressured students to buy unnecessary textbooks, which led to increase in the weight of bags-- another violation of the district administration's order.
Akhilesh Mebin, president of the Joy Education Society, and Anurag Srivastava, the secretary, was found accused by the investigation committee.
Collector Deepak Saxena emphasised that such actions would not be tolerated and lodged an FIR in the Vijay Nagar police station. This action is a part of broader initiative taken against arbitrary fee increase and irregularities in private schools.
As investigations continue, the authorities must take strict action to protect students' rights and ensure accountability among educational institutions specially private sector.
