(UCAN): The High Court in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh ordered police authorities to immediately demolish a wall erected outside the entrance of St. John’s Senior Secondary School in the Damoh district.
The police built the 100-meter-long wall in front of the main gate of the school on the night of June 22 after claiming ownership the road prompting the school to petition the court.
It completely blocked entry to the school preventing students from attending classes the next day. Founded in 1988, the prestigious school has about 2,300 students and is one of the most sought-after by parents in the town.
On June 28 a High Court judge disagreed with the police action, saying the interests of students must come first.
In his ruling, High Court justice, Sanjay Dwivedi, said, “Looking to the interests of the students and also the general public, I am directing the respondents to provide the school students access to the school for a period of 30 days.”
Dwivedi said the school could file a civil suit claiming rights to the land and also move an injunction application to the correct court, but until then the respondents [the police] must provide access by demolishing the section of wall in front of the school covering the road, to make the school accessible to students and the public.
Looking to the interests of the students and also the general public, I am directing the respondents to provide the school students access to the school for a period of 30 days
“The order be complied with immediately without wasting any further time so as to avoid any study loss to the students”, the court added.
“We are very happy that the court has ordered the wall erected to block our way demolished,” school principal, Sister Sophy Bharat, saidsoon after the court ruling.
“It is a public road, and nobody has the right to block it in such a way,” she pointed out, adding “we will continue our legal fight as per the instructions given by the High Court.”
The school’s lawyer, Anshman Singh, told the court that the approach road had been used by anyone wanting to go to and from the school without hindrance from the authorities since 1989.
He noted that the road was built by the government and no objection had ever been previously made to it being used by the school or by private persons. “But all of a sudden, a wall is constructed by the respondents, the police authorities, saying that the land the road is situated on belongs to the police department… The land is a public road and cannot be closed in such a manner.”
Church leaders allege the police action is part of a targeted attack against Christians and their institutions.
Christians make up 0.29 per cent of more than 72 million people in Madhya Pradesh.
