Bombay HC Orders SIT to Probe Politician-Run Schools in Fake Teacher Scam
The Bombay High Court in Mumbai has directed a state government-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) to expand its probe into alleged appointment irregularities across all educational institutions in every district of Maharashtra, including schools run by politicians and VVIPs.
The direction was issued on August 14 by a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad. The court noted that the SIT, which initially concentrated its inquiry on the Nashik division, had broadened its investigations to several other districts, including Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Amravati, Nagpur, Latur, and Kolhapur.
The judges stated that the SIT must investigate all educational institutions in every district of the state, irrespective of the management operating them or whether any institution is managed or conducted by a people's representative or a VVIP.
The directive came during hearings on multiple petitions filed by assistant and deputy directors in the education department. The petitioners sought the framing of guidelines to protect senior officers and employees from harassment.
In earlier orders, the High Court had instructed the state government not to entertain complaints from strangers seeking the cancellation of Shalarth IDs or challenging approvals granted years prior. Following those court orders, complainants had begun lodging police complaints against senior education officials, leading to the registration of FIRs.
