3-member committee to probe Pune’s Vibgyor high school fee hike

Parents of students from Vibgyor High school, Magarpatta, on Monday, assembled near the office of the deputy director (DyDe) of education in Camp, to agitate against the alleged bureaucratic corruption around the matter.

However, due to the absence of the DyDe officials, the parents had to approach Vishal Solanki, the commissioner of education, who assured a probe into the issue at the earliest. Accordingly, a three-member committee has been appointed by the commissioner to seek explanation from the concerned officials and investigate the issue, by June 7, informed the parents.

This is against the backdrop of the two FIRs lodged against the institute for illegal fee-hike. While the first FIR was lodged against Vibgyor, Magarpatta, on March 31, the second one against the NIBM branch was lodged on April 5. The FIR was lodged based on the probe by the office of DyDe, by the education department officials. However, the parents complained that the outcome of the FIR was stalled and subdued after a number of officials submitted documents to the investigating officer, of the Kondhwa police station, contradicting the FIR.

“As Dinkar Temkar, deputy director of education, was yet to join from his month-long leave, his assistant, Meenakshi Raut was given charge of the situation. However, one of the officials, Dhanaji Butte, along with the authorisation of Raut, sent conflicting statements and documents to the IO, putting our case in jeopardy. To seek justice, we held the agitation on Monday, demanding their suspension,” said Prajakta Pethkar, one of the parents.

However, on confrontation on Monday, Raut confessed of a foul play without her knowledge. “She has given us a written explanation, where she confessed to have been wronged into signing the papers that authorised the wrong information about the case. To mend the matter, she sent out another correct document to the IO and has issued a notice which seeks an explanation from Butte,” added another parent, Gunjan Mehta.