26/11 witness denied admission on valid grounds, says school

A private school in suburban Bandra today said its decision to deny admission to Devika Rotwan had nothing do with her being a witness in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack case and her application was turned down as she was not fluent in English.

A private school in suburban Bandra on Tuesday said its decision to deny admission to Devika Rotwan had nothing do with her being a witness in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack case and her application was turned down as she was not fluent in English.

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"Devika did not know English... she has so far studied at home. When she came for admission, it was apparent that she was not aware of English. She did not have any knowledge of English," Amol Dhamdhere, honorary secretary of Indian Education Society which runs the New English High School, said.

"She was denied admission because she was not fluent in English," he told reporters.

Devika's father has alleged that her daughter was denied admission by the school as she was a witness in the Mumbai attacks case and the school feared that it might face terror attack due to it.

11-year-old Devika had in her deposition before the court identified Ajmal Kasab as the man who went on a firing spree at Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) on the night of November 26, 2008. She too was injured in the attack.

"I am feeling very bad that the school has not given me admission. I don't think I have done anything wrong. I have just told the truth and helped the police in building a case against (26/11 convict Ajmal) Kasab," Devika said.

"Today, the whole world is proud of me as I was a witness in this important terror case. But the school is denying me education as I deposed before the court," she said.