Merchant navy officer's daughter 'locked, starved' over unpaid school fees

The Karachi police have registered a case against the administration of The Smart School Cantt. Way Campus located in Scheme 33 for harassing and assaulting a student and her father.

According to the student's father, who is a merchant navy officer, on September 15, when he went to pick up his daughter from school, he found her locked up in a room.

"My daughter told me that the teachers forced her to starve all day and didn't let her enter the classroom."

The complainant, along with the student, immediately went to the vice principal's office. "The principal, instead of listening to us, started abusing me and told me to discuss the issue with the accounts department," he said.

Two men at the accounts department, who identified themselves as the owners of the school, Fahad and Saad, allegedly abused the complainant for not paying the monthly fee on time and forced him off the premises.

"Over these months, I have requested the school management to allow me time till the 15th of the month to pay the fees because that's when I get my salary," the merchant navy officer told SAMAA Digital.

Despite multiple requests and applications, the accounts officers did not listen, he said, adding that they demanded the fees should be paid on the 7th of every month.

On September 16, the father registered an FIR against the school at the Sachal police station. A case under these sections of the Pakistan Penal Code has been registered:

• 34: Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention.
• 342: Punishment for wrongful confinement
• 504: Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace
• 506: Punishment for criminal intimidation

The police have begun questioning the management. Further investigations are underway.

This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.