HC refuses to cancel arrest warrant against education secretary
The Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court has upheld arrest warrants against the education secretary and the deputy secretary for not paying special teachers' salaries.
The Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court has upheld the arrest warrants issued against the education secretary, Ranjit Singh Deol, and the deputy secretary, education (primary), Santosh Gaikwad, for not complying with the court’s earlier order regarding payment of salaries to special teachers.
The high court last year asked the government to pay the petitioners - one Chitra Mehar and others - their dues, amounting to ₹2.13 crore, along with arrears. Within 24 hours of the order being passed, the state education department deposited ₹5.25 lakh each in the bank accounts of more than 100 petitioners, who were fighting for their wages due for over nine years.
However, unsatisfied with the action, the petitioners sought contempt proceedings against authorities. On November 1, the high court issued non-bailable arrest warrants against the two senior officers and directed the commissioner of police, Nagpur, Amitesh Kumar, to produce the duo before it.
During a hearing on Wednesday, a division bench of justice Anuja Prabhudesai and justice Vrushali Josh expressed dissatisfaction over the officials’ handling of the matter and rejected their pleas to quash the arrest warrants. The bench directed them to appear before it on December 14.
The petitioners are special teachers appointed to teach differently-abled and special children in schools set up under the Central and state government schemes. Their salaries are funded by both the Centre and the state in a 60-40 ratio.
{{/usCountry}}The petitioners are special teachers appointed to teach differently-abled and special children in schools set up under the Central and state government schemes. Their salaries are funded by both the Centre and the state in a 60-40 ratio.
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