Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Amid the start of the new academic session, the district administration on Saturday cracked down on a syndicate of school managers and stationery shopkeepers for monopolising the sale of textbooks, notebooks, and uniforms.
On the directives of Collector Shivam Verma, who issued a strict prohibitory order against such monopolies, authorities lodged four FIRs against school directors, principals and book sellers.
Police registered an FIR against the management and principal of Dr Vishwanath Karad Gurukul Shanti (World Peace School) in Gandhinagar and a stationery vendor. According to official information, Priyanka Gupta lodged a complaint on the Collector's office helpline, alleging the school compelled students to purchase books exclusively from its own designated shop. An inquiry team found the textbooks were unavailable at any other retail outlets. The school principal provided a written admission acknowledging that the school administration directly handles the procurement and arrangement of textbooks.
This conduct violated orders issued by the Collector under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Consequently, Gandhinagar police registered an FIR against the school management and principal.
In another instance, an inquiry team substantiated a complaint that textbooks for a prominent school in Rau were available at only one specific shop. Tilak Nagar police registered an FIR against Goodluck Stationery, located at Samriddhi Park, Pipliyahana, for violating the Collector s order.
In a third action, a district team visited Daisy Dales School in Vijay Nagar and Indore Bookwala near Bombay Hospital. Upon verifying the complaint, Vijay Nagar police lodged an FIR against the school director and the shopkeeper. Collector Verma stated that the administration strictly prohibits schools from compelling parents to purchase supplies from specific stores and will continue to take strict action.
