Official removed over minority status approvals to 75 educational institutes post Ajit Pawar’s death

Ajit Pawar and four others died in a plane crash in Baramati in Pune district on the morning of January 28.

Mumbai: A senior Maharashtra government official has been removed after his name was linked to the alleged hasty grant of minority status to 75 educational institutes following the death of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, officials said on Wednesday.

The action against Milind Padmanabh Shenoy, deputy secretary in the Minority Development Department, was taken on Tuesday, a day after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stayed the approvals, they said.

While Shenoy has been relieved from his post, he has not been assigned any other responsibilities, officials added.

Pawar and four others died in a plane crash in Baramati in Pune district on the morning of January 28.

According to officials, the first minority certificate was issued at 3.09 pm on January 28 and seven institutions received approvals that day. The total number rose to 75 within the next three days.

A high-level inquiry has been ordered to ascertain how the files were processed, whether due procedure was followed and whether any earlier suspension on issuing minority certificates had been formally lifted, a senior official said.

“The chief minister has sought a comprehensive report on the entire sequence of events. If any irregularity or procedural lapse is found, stern action will be taken against those responsible,” the official said.

Deputy Chief Minister and Minority Development Minister Sunetra Pawar, who was sworn in after her husband Ajit Pawar’s death, had earlier directed officials to probe into the matter and initiate strict action if any wrongdoing is established, the official said.

Chairing a review meeting of the department, she had said it must function in a transparent and people-oriented manner. If certificates have been issued in the wrong way, the matter must be investigated in depth and responsibility fixed, she had said.

The issue surfaced after reports suggested that several approvals were issued after regular office hours.

State Minority Commission Chairman Pyare Khan had termed the episode “deeply disturbing” and called for accountability, including a high-level inquiry and a probe by the CID (Crime Investigation Department).

“Granting minority status to 75 institutions within such a short span raises serious questions. The entire process must be examined thoroughly. If any irregularity is found, strict action should be taken against the officials responsible and a CID probe must be conducted,” Khan had said.

He added that the Commission would seek detailed records of the approvals and review similar cases across the state to ensure the process was not misused. He also demanded registration of criminal cases against officials found responsible and said the Commission would initiate a review of over 8,500 minority institutions across Maharashtra.

Khan had also said that the minority status granted to two schools in the Akola district had already been cancelled after irregularities were detected.

Minority status provides educational institutions with certain exemptions from provisions of the Right to Education Act, including the 25 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections, grants and greater administrative autonomy in appointments and internal management, making it a significant regulatory benefit.