Kurla West School Principal and Management Booked for Operating Without Permission
The Vinobha Bhave Nagar police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the principal and management of Dr J N Barua English School in Kurla West, Mumbai, for allegedly operating the institution without mandatory government approval and ignoring a closure order.
The school's principal, Shahista Siddiqui, along with the management—including the president, secretary, and board members—have been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating, forgery, and disobedience of law.
The action follows a complaint filed by Chhaya Paradke, a sub-inspector of education. According to the complaint, the school was found to be functioning without mandatory recognition under the Maharashtra Self-Aided Schools (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2012 and Rules, 2020.
The investigation began after education inspector Mustaq Sheikh directed Paradke on March 31 to look into a complaint against the school. During an inspection conducted on April 1, Siddiqui reportedly failed to produce any government-issued approval documents.
Paradke stated that the school was entirely unregistered and possessed no official documentation. When asked why they had not registered the school, the administration claimed the institution had only been opened very recently.
Under the Maharashtra Self-Aided Schools Act, organizations must submit a letter of intent for constructing physical facilities after applying to the government. They are then given 18 months to build the school and must secure final government approval before commencing classes.
Dr J N Barua English Primary School was previously identified on a list of 164 unrecognized schools published by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) education department on April 17.
Following the inspection report, the education inspector issued a formal notice ordering the immediate closure of the unauthorized school. The notice also banned new admissions for the academic year 2026-27 and directed that existing students be shifted to recognized schools.
