FIR registered against Managing Committee of New Higher Secondary School for misuse of land allotted by Improvement Trust 

Ludhiana, January 9, 2025: An FIR (Under Section 173 BNNS) has been registered against the Managing Committee of New Higher Secondary School, Civil Lines, Ludhiana at Police Division No.5 on a complaint filed by Improvement Trust, Ludhiana. According to available information, the complaint was first filed to the Police Commissioned, Ludhiana. Later, the complaint was marked to SHO, Police Division No.5, Ludhiana following which FIR (No.0009 dated January 08, 2025) has been registered under Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC against the school managing committee.

It has been alleged in the FIR that a land measuring 4.71 acre (1.59 and 3.12 acre) was allotted by Improvement Trust, Ludhiana for running the school at subsidised rates. However, the present school management, while going against conditions of the allotment, divided the site of the school in various parts and illegally transferred the land to other persons. Thus, the land was subdivided and used for commercial purposes. As per the FIR, different persons were given possession of the land on high rents after transferring the same. Tampering/cutting was found in the sale deed done in favour of the school by Improvement Trust, Ludhiana. As such, a case has been registered against the school's managing committee. 

Earlier last year, the Deputy Commissioner Office, Ludhiana, with the intervention of MP (Rajya Sabha) from Ludhiana Sanjeev Arora, had initiated an inquiry against local New High School's management committee. The Deputy Commissioner’s Office had constituted a 3-member inquiry committee with the direction to submit the complete conclusive report to DC Office. 

Arora, on August 1, 2024, had written to Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana stating that it has been brought to his attention by the New High School Alumni Association, supported by esteemed members such as Rakesh Bharti Mittal (Airtel Group) and Onkar Singh Pahwa (Avon Cycles Group), that the New High School's (Civil Lines and Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana) once a prime institution of Punjab, reputation and operational integrity have significantly declined under the current management committee. There are serious allegations that the committee is misusing school properties for personal commercial gain, which is detrimentally affecting the school's primary objective of providing quality education.

The matter was also raised during 2nd Grand Reunion Function of New High School held under the banner of the New High School Alumni Association in September last. The issue was raised among others by the New High School Alumni Association president Rajesh Garg and in response Arora had assured his fulsome support to the association members.

Meanwhile, Arora today has highly appreciated Deputy Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal and Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Singh Chahal for their role in tacking the issue and taking appropriate action.
 
Meanwhile, both Onkar Singh Pahwa (Avon Cycles Group) and the New High School Alumni Association President Rajesh Garg have welcomed registration of an FIR. They have highly thanked MP Sanjeev Arora on whose intervention this FIR has been registered. Both of them said they only wanted that the school’s old glory should be restored and it should start functioning in a smooth and better manner. While Pahwa said complete justice should be given in the matter and Garg said all the school alumni are always ready to extend their cooperation to the government and the administration as well in the matter.