Sunday 26 June 2016

Whether State is responsible for Man’s Suicide due to exorbitant fees demanded by Private School?

We are not only disturbed, but stunned to learn this unfortunate
development.  The distressful economic conditions alone may not have forced
the husband of the writ petitioner herein to take recourse to the said
action, which can be reasonably attributed to a mental aberration.  Since,
the writ petitioner has lost one of her two children and the reason for such
loss is attributed to the act of demand of payment of exorbitant fee by the
School Management- the 8th respondent, the writ petitioner now seeks relief
of securing free education for the remaining and surviving child and also
compensation for the double tragedy of her's.

         We are at a loss to appreciate the contention canvassed in this
regard.

        Firstly, the act of the husband of the writ petitioner in killing an
innocent child out of frustration cannot be appreciated at all.  Even if a
child cannot be supported reasonably and legitimately to secure him good
education, there are well recognized and civilised methods to secure
education to the children.  The State Government, as a measure of welfare of
the Society at large, has been running and maintaining several institutions
for promoting the cause of education, so that, the economic distressful
conditions of the family would not be a cause for children from dropping out
from the academic life.  There are also philanthropic organizations which
lend support in the Society.  Instead of approaching any such organizations
the husband of the writ petitioner has taken recourse to a violent measure.
Luckily for him, he did not survive but succumbed lest he would have been
prosecuted  for killing his innocent child.  Under Section 357 of the
Criminal Procedure Code, the victims can be compensated by the Courts, but,
however such compensation is liable to be awarded for any loss or injury
caused by the offence, but not otherwise. In the instant case, the offence
unleashed by the husband of the writ petitioner towards an innocent child, if
there is one who will have to tender compensation for having caused loss of
the child of the writ petitioner, in turn, that would be the husband of the
writ petitioner.  Since he was no more, he could not be prosecuted.
Therefore, the claim of the petitioner for payment of compensation against
the State Government, to say is a milder manner,  an extravagant  one.
State is nowhere responsible for the violent action unleashed by the husband
of the writ petitioner.

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED:  08.06.2016  

CORAM   
 MR.JUSTICE NOOTY.RAMAMOHANA RAO                 
and 
 MR.JUSTICE S.S.SUNDAR           

Writ Appeal (MD) No.909 of 2016  & C.M.P(MD)No.5588 of 2016   

Easwari   Vs  Principal Secretary, Department of School Education,
   State of Tamil Nadu,
  

        This appeal is preferred by the writ petitioner, whose writ petition is
disposed of, by the learned Single Judge on 29-03-2016.

        2. The case of the petitioner is that she had two children, who got
admitted to the 8th respondent School, which is a privately managed
educational institution.  It is the further case of the writ petitioner that
the said School Management was charging exorbitant amount as fee from the  
students.  In other words, the School Management is fleecing the parents of
the students on one ground or the other, instead of confining the collection
of fee strictly to one prescribed in accordance with the provisions contained
in the Tamil Nadu Schools (Regulation of Collection of Fee) Act, 2009.
Instead of logically pursuing the remedies available, the husband of the writ
petitioner herein has resorted to an extremely violent act of first killing
one of the children and then committing suicide himself.

        3. We are not only disturbed, but stunned to learn this unfortunate
development.  The distressful economic conditions alone may not have forced
the husband of the writ petitioner herein to take recourse to the said
action, which can be reasonably attributed to a mental aberration.  Since,
the writ petitioner has lost one of her two children and the reason for such
loss is attributed to the act of demand of payment of exorbitant fee by the
School Management- the 8th respondent, the writ petitioner now seeks relief
of securing free education for the remaining and surviving child and also
compensation for the double tragedy of her's.

        4. We are at a loss to appreciate the contention canvassed in this
regard.

        5. Firstly, the act of the husband of the writ petitioner in killing an
innocent child out of frustration cannot be appreciated at all.  Even if a
child cannot be supported reasonably and legitimately to secure him good
education, there are well recognized and civilised methods to secure
education to the children.  The State Government, as a measure of welfare of
the Society at large, has been running and maintaining several institutions
for promoting the cause of education, so that, the economic distressful
conditions of the family would not be a cause for children from dropping out
from the academic life.  There are also philanthropic organizations which
lend support in the Society.  Instead of approaching any such organizations
the husband of the writ petitioner has taken recourse to a violent measure.
Luckily for him, he did not survive but succumbed lest he would have been
prosecuted  for killing his innocent child.  Under Section 357 of the
Criminal Procedure Code, the victims can be compensated by the Courts, but,
however such compensation is liable to be awarded for any loss or injury
caused by the offence, but not otherwise. In the instant case, the offence
unleashed by the husband of the writ petitioner towards an innocent child, if
there is one who will have to tender compensation for having caused loss of
the child of the writ petitioner, in turn, that would be the husband of the
writ petitioner.  Since he was no more, he could not be prosecuted.
Therefore, the claim of the petitioner for payment of compensation against
the State Government, to say is a milder manner,  an extravagant  one.
State is nowhere responsible for the violent action unleashed by the husband
of the writ petitioner.

        6. If the petitioner still feels that the economic condition in which,
currently she is living did not provide her a fair chance or option to get
her surviving child educated properly, it  is open to her to seek appropriate
assistance from the Welfare Officer concerned, so that, the surviving child
can get admitted in one Welfare Institution or the other where the State
Government would bear the expenditure for better education.

        7. We do not find any reason to entertain the writ appeal and
accordingly, the same stands dismissed. No costs.  Consequently, the 
connected Miscellaneous petition is also dismissed.



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