High Court grants interim stay on suspension of divorced teacher in Ahilyanagar

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

Meenakshi Jadhav, a teacher working in the Ahilyanagar Zilla Parishad (ZP), has filed a petition in the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court challenging her suspension. Justice S G Chapalgaonkar issued notices to the respondents and granted an interim stay on the suspension order issued by the ZP chief executive officer (CEO), until the next hearing scheduled for June 9.

Background of the petition

The teacher is employed at a ZP school in Ahilyanagar. Following a family dispute, she legally divorced in 2019 and has been living independently with her children. As per the state government’s transfer policy dated June 18, 2024, she applied in 2025 for a transfer under the “divorced women” special category. All legal documents, including the divorce decree and ration card, were submitted, and her transfer was approved in accordance with the rules.

However, despite her divorce, her pension and service book still listed her husband’s name. A committee report claimed this made her ineligible for transfer under the ‘divorced women’ category. Acting on this report, the CEO suspended her on March 24, 2026.

Arguments by the petitioner

Advocate Avinash Khedkar, representing the petitioner, argued that the teacher possesses a valid divorce decree from a competent civil court, and the administration cannot question it. The petitioner was never provided a copy of the committee report on which her suspension was based. The action of the administration violates natural justice and is irrational. Documents submitted during her transfer, including the ration card and self-declaration certificate verified by competent authorities and the tehsildar, were ignored. The teacher was suspended solely based on the committee’s flawed report. Following the arguments, the bench granted an interim stay on the suspension order.