HC directs to close down Malaparamba school by June 8

Kochi: The High Court on Friday gave time till June 8 to the state government to close down the Malaparamba Aided Upper Primary School at Malaparamba in Kozhikode.

The government should provide all assistance to the Education department officials to execute the court order allowing its closure.

The court said that the protesters, if needed, can be arrested and removed from the site.

The Malaparamba school protection committee members have been preventing Education department officials from closing down the school.

More than 100 members of the committee, including parents of the students, on Thursday prevented the officials led by the Assistant Education Officer (AEO) from entering the Malaparamba Aided Upper Primary School to execute the order.

A minor scuffle broke out between police and the protesters but none was injured.

AEO K S Kusumam returned after an hour, without executing the court order, the police said.

On May 23 also, the AEO was prevented by the committee members from closing down the school. The manager of the school had moved the High Court seeking to close down the institution, saying it had become 'uneconomical' to run it and also the building had become weak.

The court allowed the prayer and directed the state government to implement the order before May 27. Subsequently, the DPI had issued an order for closure of the school last month.

However, the protection committee members have been agitating for continuance of the school.