Mumbai: An 11-year-old girl, the youngest witness to depose before the court in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack case, was on Monday denied admission in a private school which fears that it would become a terror target if she was admitted.
"My daughter (Devika Rotwan) has been denied admission in New English High School at suburban Bandra. School authorities say they may face a terror threat as my daughter had deposed as a witness in the 26/11 case," her father Natwarlal Rotwan, a businessman, said on Monday night.
The minor girl was injured in firing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) on the night of November 26, 2008. She had identified Ajmal Kasab who went on a firing spree at the railway station, in the court.
"Initially the school authorities said they will give her admission in Class V. But later they asked us to submit a letter, along with the admission form, from the government stating that my daughter was injured during the terror attack and should be given admission in the school," he said.
"We were trying to get the letter and in the meantime requested the school management to give admission. The school authorities made me do endless rounds and Monday they bluntly refused to give admission citing security concerns," he said.
"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.
Asked where Devika was studying earlier, her father said she was getting education at home in their native Pali district in Rajasthan.
School officials could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Secretary J P Dange said that the government would examine the matter and take appropriate action the guilty.
