Mumbai: Bombay HC has directed a special investigation team (SIT) formed by the state govt to probe alleged irregularities in appointments to educational institutions to turn the lens on all such institutes in every district of Maharashtra, including those run by a politician or a VVIP.Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad gave the direction on Aug 14 after they noticed that the SIT, which was earlier concentrating only on Nashik division, had started its investigations in various districts like Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Amravati, Nagpur, Latur and Kolhapur.“We reiterate that the SIT shall investigate all educational institutions in every district of the state, irrespective of which management operates the said educational institutions or if any such institution is managed/conducted by any person, who is a people’s representative or is a VVIP,” the judges said.Several petitions were filed by assistant/deputy directors seeking framing of guidelines to protect employees/senior officers in the education department. HC in various orders had directed the state govt not to entertain complaints by strangers for against teachers and employees for cancelling their Shalarth ID or interfering with approvals granted years ago. Hence, the strangers started filing complaints against senior officers with police, who registered FIRs. Earlier this year, the state informed the court an SIT had been to investigate all appointments of teaching and non-teaching staff.Taking into account SIT’s interim report, the judges permitted it to “collate information, rather than believing rumours or baseless allegations”. Where persons unconnected with an institution have supplied material, the SIT shall ask them to file affidavits in support of their statements, they said. “The SIT would be at liberty to prosecute such a person for providing false information,” they added.The judges said the SIT could use information from a source to find out whether there are illegalities in recruitments and appointments and whether they “have caused loss to the state exchequer” as salary grants are paid from the “taxpayers’ pocket”. They posted the further hearing for Sept 24 to enable the state to indicate progress made by the SIT.
