FIR filed against Nagpur school secretary over alleged religious bias in admission

The Nagpur Police have booked the secretary of Dayanand Arya Kanya Vidyalaya, located in Nagpur’s Jaripatka area, under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) for deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.

The incident occurred on May 8, when a family approached the school seeking admission for their daughter in Class 6. According to the FIR filed against Rajesh Lalwani, secretary of the Arya Vidhya Sabha which runs the school, a teacher, Anita Arya, informed the family that no seats were available and suggested that the girl remain in her current school.

During this process, Assistant Teacher Suman Masand decided to raise the issue with the principal, Dr Geeta Harwani, as there were still vacancies in the school. When Dr Harwani enquired about the matter, she was informed by staff involved in the admission process that the school’s secretary, Rajesh Lalwani, had allegedly instructed them not to admit girls of a particular community. The FIR states that teacher Suman Masand claims to have an audio recording in which Lalwani gave instructions not to admit students from a particular community.

Subsequently, Dr Harwani, along with the girl’s family, decided to escalate the matter to the authorities. A formal complaint was sent to the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission. On May 13, officials from the District Child Protection Unit visited the school to investigate. They spoke with both the teacher and the mother, recording their statements and accounts of the incident.

Following this, a formal police complaint was filed on May 14, naming the school secretary Rajesh Lalwani, admission in-charge Simran Gyanchandani, and teacher Anita Arya. The allegations include religious discrimination and mental harassment of the child’s family.

The Jaripatka police stated that the case is currently under investigation.

The parents of the girl told The Indian Express that the school has since asked them to submit the necessary documentation to initiate the admission process.

Addressing the media in Nagpur on Wednesday, Rajesh Lalwani, Secretary of Arya Vidya Sabha, Jaripatka, responded to allegations made against him by Dr. Geeta Harwani, whom he referred to as the suspended principal of Dayanand Arya Kanya Vidyalaya.

Lalwani clarified that Dr. Harwani had been suspended before filing the complaint and alleged that her actions were an attempt to tarnish his reputation. “A departmental inquiry against her was initiated on April 17, and since then, she has been repeatedly filing false complaints in various departments against the organization,” he said.

Lalwani also dismissed claims of discrimination at the institution, saying, “Over 200 girl students from minority communities are currently studying in various classes at our school. We have never practiced any form of discrimination based on caste or religion.”