Ram Ranjan Banerjee Memorial School v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.
December 22, 2025
(21) ARDR WPA 25461 of 2025 Ram Ranjan Memorial School Vs.
The State of West Bengal & ors.
Adv. Karabi Roy ... for the petitioner.
Adv. Susovan Sengupta, Adv. Manas Kumar Sadhu ...for the State.
Affidavit of service filed by the petitioner and the report submitted by the State are taken on record. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the school being Ram Ranjan Memorial School is continuing since 2011 in the land of the owner with his consent. In 2017 the private respondents tried to stop the functioning of the school which was resisted by intervention of the relevant authority. A civil suit was filed by the school against the private respondents who claim to be the owners of the property in which the school is continuing. Learned civil Court directed both the parties to maintain status quo in respect of nature, character and possession of the property.
The petitioner alleges that the private respondents, with the aid and assistance of the police authority of Kaliganj police station have put a padlock to the gate of the school, thereby bringing the school to a complete halt. The future of about three hundred students of the school is at stake. A mass petition has been filed by the local people before the Superintendent of Police and the District Magistrate for reopening of the school. In the meantime, the civil suit filed by the petitioner has been
dismissed for default and an application for restoration of the same is pending.
The petitioner lodged several complaints before the police authority seeking reopening of the school by removing the padlock therefrom but to no effect. The petitioner seeks a direction for reopening and continuing the curriculum of the school.
Learned counsel for the State submits that the dispute is between the petitioner and the present managing committee of the school. Specific cases have been registered and investigation initiated pursuant to the complaints lodged by the petitioners. The police authority has not put any padlock to the school.
Upon consideration of the submission made on behalf of the parties, it appears that the dispute between the parties is civil in nature. The petitioner is at liberty to ventilate his grievance before the appropriate civil forum. In the meantime, since the students of the school are suffering due to the disputes and differences between the parties, the school be reopened within two weeks from date and shall continue to function under the supervision and monitoring of the District Inspector of Schools (Primary), Nadia. Both the parties are restrained from participating in the management of the school till the dispute between them is resolved. Only the teachers and support staff shall be allowed to enter the school to teach the students and for smooth functioning of the school.
The police authority shall keep strict surveillance in the area in order to avoid any untoward incident and to maintain peace and tranquility and render assistance/ protection to the staff, teachers and students who participate in the day to day proceedings in the school. With the direction, the writ petition is accordingly disposed of.
There shall however, be no order as to costs. Since no affidavit is invited, the allegations contained in the petition are deemed not to have been admitted. Urgent certified website copy of this order, if applied for, be supplied to the parties upon compliance with all requisite formalities.
(Suvra Ghosh, J.)