Mumbai: After knocking at the doors of the education department and then the state child rights commission, the parents of a 16-year-old boy who is suffering from autism and has been detained in Std IX have filed a petition in the Bombay high court as the child continues to be out of school since the start of the academic year.

Astudent of an ICSE school in Juhu, the parents had written to the education department and the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights after he was allegedly detained in Std IX and was being forced to either repeat the year or leave. The parents had alleged that they were not allowed to see the boy’s final exam report card on the basis of which the school took a re-examination that the child failed.

The commission closed the case for final recommendation on September 27. “Members of the commission observed that they would instruct the school to admit him to Std X during the final hearing. We have been waiting for orders from the commission. Until then, the school will not take back our son and allow him to appear for Std X exams,” said the boy’s mother. The boy last attended school in March.

In their petition, the parents have prayed that the HC pass orders to allow the child to attend Std X and direct the commission to pronounce a final order. The petition is scheduled to be heard in the high court on Thursday. “He is preparing for Std X exams at home but whether or not he will be able to appear for the exam is still uncertain. The exam is only a couple of months away,” said the mother. A N Tripathi, secretary of the commission, said the order is under process.