Trustees' body moves Bombay High Court to seek closure of unauthorised schools in Thane

Thane: A private organisation of school trustees has said it has approached the Bombay High Court to demand immediate closure of unauthorised educational institutions in Diva area of Maharashtra's Thane district.

The demand comes days after the headmistress of a private school in Mumbra area here was arrested for allegedly not informing police about the molestation of a 10-year-old girl by a man in the institution.

The Maharashtra English School Trustees Association (MESTA) has claimed it was an unauthorised institution.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, MESTA Thane district president Naresh Pawar condemned the incident and claimed the number of unauthorised schools in Diva has gone up to nearly 70 from 40 last year.

He further claimed that students and parents were being exploited by these schools with false documents, such as mark sheets, school certificates, and bonafide certificates, being issued without legal authorisation.

In the 2023-24 academic year, FIRs were filed against 40 unauthorised schools in Diva, he said.

Pawar said their association has approached the high court to seek immediate closure of such schools.