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The Suo Moto PIL was registered by the high court after a news report showed students from a 'smart school' with a disconnected electricity supply, sitting on the floor with empty bottles of liquor lying around them
The Bombay High Court has asked the Superintendent of Police of all Districts to ensure that smugglers and gamblers don’t enter the schools in Zilla Parishads.
“State of Maharashtra would ensure that these schools are adequately protected, not only by installing their guards, but resorting to such mechanism by which the bootleggers, gamblers, drug peddlers etc. would not get any scope to enter the premises after the school hours, especially in the night. We also expect the authorities to remove encroachments from the Zilla Parishad Schools by following the due procedure laid down in law,” the order reads.
The division bench of the Bombay High Court at Aurangabad comprising Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice RM Joshi was hearing a Suo Moto Public Interest Litigation (PIL) regarding the bad conditions of schools in Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, Municipal Council, and Municipal Corporation.
The Suo Moto PIL was registered by the high court after a news report showed students from a 'smart school' with a disconnected electricity supply, sitting on the floor with empty bottles of liquor lying around them.
In July 2023, the Bombay High Court formed a committee comprising the Principal District Judge (Chairperson), District Collector, Education Officer of Zilla Parishad, Executive Engineer of PWD, and Superintendent of Police for the inspection of schools in the Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, Municipal Council, and Municipal Corporation.
On March 22, the Superintendent of Police of Dharashiv submitted a report stating that steps would be taken to arrange daily visits of Pink Pathaks in schools to reassure the students and faculty and serve as a deterrent to potential threats. The report also mentioned that authorities would be conducting patrolling and monitoring.
The high court, in its order, mentioned that since most of the committees had submitted their reports, it was contemplating the constitution of a committee, preferably chaired by a former judge of the court.
The high court also asked the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) to look into issues at three schools in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
Case title: HC on its own motion
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