To make space for children eligible for admission under the 25% RTE quota, a Dharavi school expelled existing students who had got promoted from Sr KG to Std I, parents have alleged. An NGO, Public Help Foundation, and the All-India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) on Monday wrote a letter to the Dharavi police against the alleged injustice done to 25 students.

Parents of children studying in St Anthony School said that on April 21 they were called to take their wards' report cards. They were later told that they needed to attend a meeting with the school authorities and would have to wait.

A parent, Ashish Kamble (name changed), said, "We were told that out of around 73 children of Sr KG, 25 would have to leave the school as they wanted to make space for children from the economically weaker section under the quota. It was a shock for us... on one hand the report cards show that our children have been promoted, and on the other, this news. It's unfair. We have decided to send a legal notice to the school."

"They actually made chits of names of the 73-odd Sr KG students and asked the children themselves to pick one. Forty-five of them were asked to pick, those whose names came up were told they would continue to the next class, while the rest were told they would have to leave. Among these 25 is my child too," said another parent, Radha Sharma (name changed).

NGO president Shaan Illahi met the school authorities and submitted a complaint letter to the Dharavi police. "I and Shakir Ansari, personal assistant of MLA Waris Pathan (Byculla), went to the school to discuss the matter. The school accepted that it had expelled 25 students to make space for RTE quota ones. When we asked the authorities to give that in writing, they refused," she added.

BMC education officer Prakash Charate said, "I have not received any complaint yet. But if it comes, I will definitely conduct an inquiry and decide what action can be taken, as schools cannot expel students in this manner."

Repeated phone calls to the school for comment went unanswered.