9 FIITJEE Noida officials booked after shutdown

Noida: The Noida Police on Friday registered a case of criminal conspiracy and breach of trust against nine officials of the FIITJEE Noida centre, after nearly 150 parents of students reported to police on Thursday about the private coaching institute shutting down the Sector 62-located centre without prior intimation, said officers on Friday, adding there has been no arrest so far.

The institute’s 40-member staff, including teachers and pantry workers, allegedly resigned on Wednesday and joined a rival coaching institute.

A legal counsellor of the institute, however, said on Friday that more staff will be hired and the study gap will be covered with extra classes.

“On Thursday, nearly 150 parents approached the Sector 58 police station and filed the complaint. Later, a case under sections 336 (forgery), 316 (criminal breach of trust), 318(4) (cheating), and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and 397 of the Company Act was registered at the Sector 58 police station against nine people, including the owner, management, and director,” said Ram Badan Singh, deputy commissioner of police, Noida.

Police identified the nine suspects as Dinesh Kumar Goyal, founder; Ramesh Batlish, director of Noida FIITJEE; Monila Goel; Partha Halder; Sadhu Ram Bansal; Rushtam Dinshaw Batliwala; Shashikant Dubey; Mohit Sardana; and Aanad Raman P among officials, and other unidentified directors of the FIITJEE Noida centre.

“After taking all the money of parents and promising good future for children, all the mentioned accused have manipulated the whole amount of parents and without informing any of the parents,” reads the FIR filed by parents’ association.

“A probe found the 40 member staff resigned on Wednesday and joined another rival coaching institute,” said a senior officer requesting anonymity.

“When parents approached FIITJEE, they did not receive a satisfactory response. More than 1,000 children are enrolled in different classes at FIITJEE Noida. Till 6pm (Friday), more than 250 parents signed the FIR,” the officer added.

One of the legal counsellors of FIITJEE said, “We are not saying that FIITJEE is not hiring staff for the studies of children who are enrolled. Due to some unexpected circumstances, FIITJEE staff left and joined another institute. We will hire more staff and cover the study gap with additional classes that the children suffered…We are just demanding some time to address the unexpected situation.”

“It was informed that FIITJEE Noida did not pay salary to the staff for two months. As they got hike remuneration, they all left in a day. Strict action will be taken against the teachers also,” Amit Kumar, station house officer, Sector 58.

Ramesh Batlish, director, FIITJEE Noida Centre, remained unapproachable over phone for comment.