2 schools being running despite court orders to shut them down 23 years ago

Next hearing on Dec 1

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court had ordered the closure of two schools 23 years ago as they were running illegally.

However, a retired teacher from the same school filed a petition regarding the fact that both those schools are still running.

The petition requested the HC that schools should be closed and that the teaching and non-teaching staff be adjusted elsewhere. He also requested that the old trustees of the institution be dismissed and new trustees be appointed.

Justice Vibha Kankanwadi and Justice Hiten Venegaonkar ordered the issuance of notice to the respondents on October 10. However, the HC bench expressed doubts about the petitioner's requests and placed the hearing on December 1 to hear the respondents before the next order.

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What is the petition?

As stated in the petition filed by Kishor Chhagan Koli through adv. Vitthalrao Salgare, the High Court had ordered the closure of the erstwhile Swami Vivekananda Primary Vidya Mandir (present Late Namdevrao Totaram Thackeray Primary Vidya Mandir) and Late Abhijit Thackeray Secondary School in Morane in Dhule district on July 15, 2002, in the petition Jawahar Shikshan Prasarak Sanstha, Dhule vs. Government of Maharashtra and others to the managements of the institutions, Totaram Bapuji Vidhayak Karya Trust and Late Chiranjeev Abhijit Thackeray Memorial Education Trust.

The bench had also dismissed the review petition of the management of the institutions against these orders on September 5, 2002.

The petitioner brought to the notice of Government officials at all levels, from the Principal Secretary of the Education Department to the Bloc Education Officer, that the managements of the institutions continued to run both the schools illegally till date by holding the then officials of the Education Department by the hand. But, as no concrete action was taken, he filed a petition.

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How does case come to light

It is understood that Koli was appointed to the above school in 2011. The education authorities did not approve the appointment, so the school did not pay him his salary. The management, angered by his filing of various cases against the management, dismissed him from service through an oral order in 2015. While searching for documents to defend himself in the legal cases, Koli came across a High Court orders to close the schools.