Delhi HC: School's Safety Gate Hinges on Traffic Police NOC

Summary: Lancers Convent Sr. Secondary School in Delhi is in a legal dispute with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) over a safety gate. The school wants to keep the gate for student safety, but the MCD says they didn’t follow the rules.

The School's Plea for Safety

Lancers Convent Sr. Secondary School, located in Rohini, Delhi, asked for help on December 1, 2025, to stop the MCD from tearing down a safety gate they put up. The school has about 5,000 students and shares a street with New Town Cooperative Group Housing Society. The street has problems with illegal parking and people causing trouble, so the school put up a gate for safety.

MCD's Stand on the Gate

The MCD turned down the school's request for the gate on October 3, 2025. They said the school didn’t follow the rules from a 2007 notice, which says you need a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Delhi Traffic Police before putting up such gates.

"Before installation of a gate, a No Objection Certificate ('NOC') from Delhi Traffic Police is required." - MCD's Lawyer

The Legal Back-and-Forth

The school asked to put up the gate on September 24, 2025, but the MCD said they put it up before asking. The school sent more requests to the MCD and the Traffic Police in October, but the MCD started to take down the gate on October 16, 2025. The MCD also got a letter from the local police on October 29, 2025, asking them to remove the gate.

Court's Decision

Judge Mini Pushkarna listened to the case and decided that the school's request should be treated as a formal application to both the MCD and the Delhi Traffic Police. The court told the Traffic Police to look at the school's request for a NOC. Once the NOC is received, the MCD will look at the school's request to keep the gate.

"The Delhi Traffic Police, as well as the MCD, shall consider the representation of the petitioner." - Judge Mini Pushkarna

What's Next?

The school must first get the NOC from the Traffic Police. Then, the MCD will decide if the gate can stay. This case shows how important it is to follow all the rules, especially when it comes to public safety and legal requirements.

In the end, the court closed the application, but the school still has steps to follow to keep their safety gate.