The court of subdivisional officer (SDO) has ordered the status quo on the playground of AG Co-operative Colony in Argora, Ranchi, where the construction of a boundary wall triggered protests by a section of residents last month.

Hearing a petition filed by one Deepak Sinha on July 6, SDO Amit Kumar directed Argora thana OC to submit a report on the status of the ground within July 20.

"I have asked them to maintain status quo on the playground to prevent any law and order problem at the disputed site," Kumar said.

Sources claimed that the SDO had also sent a notice to the principal of DAV Kapil Dev - which is accused of building the boundary wall "in violation of rules" - asking him to appear in person or through his lawyer to clear his stand in the matter on July 20.

In the petition, a section of the residents alleged that the school was trying to grab the two-acre playground by constructing a seven-feet-high boundary wall around it. It further stated that according to the building plan approved by Ranchi Regional Development Authority in January 1985, any construction on the ground is illegal because it is mandatory to leave 15 per cent of open space for use of the residents of the colony.

DAV principal M.K. Sinha said the school was being dragged into the dispute unnecessarily. "The work is being done by AG Office Employees' Co-operative House Construction Society Ltd. The school is just giving the funds as schoolchildren have been using the ground for the past 25 years," he said.