A private school at Ghatikia on the outskirts of Odisha capital has allegedly locked up 34 students in a classroom for five hours on Monday for non-payment of quarterly school fees.

Commissionerate police (Bhubaneswar-Cuttack) on Tuesday started an investigation into the incident.

The students, from Class I to Class IX, were locked up inside a room from 9.30am to 2.30pm on Monday.

“We have detained a staff (administrative officer) of the school,” a senior police officer told The Telegraph.

The parents on Tuesday organised a dharna in front of the school angered by the irresponsible behaviour of the school authorities. Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. An FIR has been lodged.

The parents alleged that the school authorities had

no right to punish the students in such a humiliating manner for non-payment of tuition fees.

“They should have talked to the parents individually on the issue. The class teacher of my daughter asked her to come out of the classroom and later took her to another room and confined her there with other students.

“Neither they were given anything to eat nor water to drink during the five hours of confinement,” said an agitating parent.

Another parent alleged that “the students were not allowed to go to the toilet. The students were subjected to mental torture”.

Another parent alleged that even though she had paid the fees of her ward it had not been updated in school records.

“But they confined my daughter Anuska Subudhi in a room for five hours. This is not right.”

However, school officials remained tight-lipped on the issue.

A case has been lodged at the Bharatpur police station against officials of the school under Section 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code, beside the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, an officer said, adds PTI.

A private school at Ghatikia on the outskirts of Odisha capital has allegedly locked up 34 students in a classroom for five hours on Monday for non-payment of quarterly school fees.

Commissionerate police (Bhubaneswar-Cuttack) on Tuesday started an investigation into the incident.

The students, from Class I to Class IX, were locked up inside a room from 9.30am to 2.30pm on Monday.

“We have detained a staff (administrative officer) of the school,” a senior police officer told The Telegraph.

The parents on Tuesday organised a dharna in front of the school angered by the irresponsible behaviour of the school authorities. Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. An FIR has been lodged.

The parents alleged that the school authorities had

no right to punish the students in such a humiliating manner for non-payment of tuition fees.

“They should have talked to the parents individually on the issue. The class teacher of my daughter asked her to come out of the classroom and later took her to another room and confined her there with other students.

“Neither they were given anything to eat nor water to drink during the five hours of confinement,” said an agitating parent.

Another parent alleged that “the students were not allowed to go to the toilet. The students were subjected to mental torture”.

Another parent alleged that even though she had paid the fees of her ward it had not been updated in school records.

“But they confined my daughter Anuska Subudhi in a room for five hours. This is not right.”

However, school officials remained tight-lipped on the issue.

A case has been lodged at the Bharatpur police station against officials of the school under Section 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code, beside the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, an officer said, adds PTI.