PSAJK welcomes High Court order seeking ATR against parents association head

Jammu: In a case filed by Private Schools’ Association of Jammu (PSAJ) and a complaint by the Director Education Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir High Court has sought an action taken report (ATR) from government in a case regarding harassment and posting of objectionable material by a self style head of parents association Amit Kapoor.
Advocate M.K. Bhardwaj appearing for the petitioner, submitted that the self-styled President of Association is neither registered nor recognised under J&K School Education Act 2002 and the rules framed thereunder, vide SRO 123 of 2010.
The petition by PSAJ was filed through its president Shilpa Mahajan seeking inter alia a direction to register an FIR against the accused for posting scandalous material against the private schools on his facebook page or other social networking platforms using the banner of Parents Association, Jammu. Director School Education, Jammu vide its communication dated 05.07.2020 had also requested the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu to look into the activities of the accused and take an appropriate action, as warranted in law.
Besides issuing notices to respondents, the High Court also sought a report on the action, if any, taken on the communication of School Education Jammu.
“This is our first step towards victory vis-s-vis the malicious campaign run against private schools by third party actors. These people are not even parents but indulge in such activities because of politics or other unknown reasons,” said Shilpa Mahajan president PSAJ. “We have a cordial relation with parents and there is a law covering such parents representatives and how the two can work together.”
The Association hoped that the High Court order will be a huge deterrent against the self style parents associations in Jammu and Kashmir who continuously undermine the tremendous work done by private schools. “There is a problem redressal mechanism put in place by the government and the education department. If any parent has any problem he can approach the relevant quarters,” said Shilpa.