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.