First illegal school building razed as BMC steps up crackdown

The action marks an escalation in the civic body’s crackdown on illegal schools. In March, the BMC’s education department published a list of 164 unauthorised schools operating across the city. Since then, FIRs have been registered against 74 schools, and the civic body has now begun demolishing school buildings after ensuring that students have been relocated.

MUMBAI: In its first demolition drive against an unauthorised school, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday began razing the building of Tehzeeb Islamic English School in Govandi after shifting all enrolled students to other recognised schools.

Mumbai, India - July 14, 2026: A view of the demolition drive at an allegedly unauthorized Tehajeeb school building in Govandi, in mumbai, India, on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The action marks an escalation in the civic body’s crackdown on illegal schools. In March, the BMC’s education department published a list of 164 unauthorised schools operating across the city. Since then, FIRs have been registered against 74 schools, and the civic body has now begun demolishing school buildings after ensuring that students have been relocated.

Ujwal Ingole, assistant municipal commissioner of the M-East ward, said the demolition was undertaken only after the education department confirmed that no students were studying in the building.

“Before starting the demolition, we ensured that all students had been accommodated in other schools. We had also put up warning boards outside the school informing parents that it was an illegal institution and advising them not to seek admission there. In the M-East ward alone, around 34 FIRs have been registered against illegal schools, and action against such premises will continue,” Ingole said.

He added that many of the schools were operating from unauthorised and structurally unsafe buildings, making the issue one of both legality and children’s safety.

According to Nisar Khan, officer in charge of the private schools section of the BMC’s education department, the school management informed the civic body that around 250 students had been admitted to nearby recognised schools before demolition was approved.

“As per procedure, we first published the list of illegal schools and then initiated criminal action. We directed all such schools to relocate their students before any further action. Only after receiving confirmation from Tehzeeb Islamic English School that its students had been shifted did we ask the ward office to proceed with demolition,” Khan said.

The demolition of illegal school buildings was discussed at a recent meeting of the BMC Education Committee, where member Neil Somaiya suggested razing such structures to prevent them from reopening. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya was present at the demolition site on Tuesday.

Parents said they shifted their children after the school was declared illegal. One parent of a Class II student said the family admitted their child to another school in May after learning about the civic body’s action. Another parent said the management had initially claimed it was trying to regularise the school before later asking parents to seek admission elsewhere.

Shabana Khan, a representative of the Slum Private School Management Association, questioned the timing of the demolition.

“It is unusual that the BMC is carrying out demolition during the monsoon. We have filed a writ petition before the Bombay High Court seeking to quash the FIRs against illegal schools and have also urged the government to expedite slum redevelopment so that schools can function from permanent buildings,” she said.

Repeated attempts to contact the management of Tehzeeb Islamic English School for comment were unsuccessful. While local sources claimed the school had sought a stay on the demolition, authorities did not confirm the claim.