HC asks defaulter schools to deposit 75% of fee refund amount in two weeks

New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed around 90 private schools, who failed to refund the excess fee charged by them despite its committee's recommendation and the city government's order, to deposit 75 per cent of the principal amount within two weeks.

A division bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Najmi Waziri asked these private schools to deposit the amount, as recommended by Justice Anil Dev Singh committee, to avoid any coercive action.

The Justice Anil Dev Singh Committee had recommended the schools, including DPS and Sanskriti schools, to refund the excess fees with interest.

The bench asked schools to deposit the amount in the form of cash, fixed deposits receipts or bank guarantees in favour of Registrar General in the High Court Registry.

The order came on bunch of pleas filed by various private schools seeking recall of the committee recommendations and also challenging a notice of Directorate of Education for refund of the excess fees, failing which government could take over them or they could face de-recognition.

The court now posted the matter for September 25.

The committee, after examining 1,092 private schools, had said that 531 had charged excess fee and recommended that it should be refunded with nine per cent interest.

It had also recommended special inspection of 247 schools.