Chucked out by vengeful school, siblings sit at home

 Chucked out by vengeful school, siblings sit at home

For almost two months now Nikhil (7) and Yash (9) Bhagchandani have watched their friends leave for school in the morning as they stay back at home. Peering over their balcony, as the auto departs for school filled with students, both brothers wonder when they would be able to wear their school uniform and join their friends.

On June 22, the siblings were chucked out by Mahatma Gandhi Centennial (MGC) primary school where they studied. The school did so apparently over an ongoing dispute with their father Pramod Bhagchandani.

Deepak Bajaj, secretary of the society that manages MGC, did not respond to numerous calls throughout the day from TOI. Speaking to TOI in June, Bajaj had said that Bhagchandani repeatedly made frivolous complaints to the authorities about the school and harassed teachers. He added that Bhagchandani was unemployed and questioned his source of income.

Bhagchandani denied the allegations. "I have only complained about the illegal acts of the school like maintaining a zoo in its premises or charging unfair fees. Just because I question the management, they want me out. I find it unfair that my children are being made to suffer. I have my own consultancy firm hence I don't need a job. Since 2006, I have been awarded over Rs 8 lakh by the income tax department for helping nab tax evaders," said Bhagchandani.

Bhagchandani made a complaint to the education department that tied every trick to get Bajaj to back down but that did not happen. Officials tried to mediate and wrote to Bajaj saying MGC "was violating the Right to Education Act by refusing to readmit the students," but to no avail.

An official involved in this matter said, "We had given MGC time till August 1 to take back the kids failing which we have begun process to derecognize the school. We will present the proposal in our department's meeting next week. Now we have requested Bhagchandani to admit his children in some other school so their academic year is not wasted."

Bhagchandani refuses to do so. "My kids will study in that school as it belongs to our community. If MGC has a problem with me then let them file a case against me. They should leave my children alone," he said.

The kids are now being taught at home by their mother but long to be back with their friends in the classroom. "My younger son cries everyday as he is missing his friends. He wants to play with them, talk to them but that is not possible. It is hard for me to even explain to him what is going on," said Bhagchandani.