HC notice to Maharashtra education director on pending salary arrear issue

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court has issued notice to Maharashtra officials on a petition filed by a former vice-principal of Siddarth Law College alleging that she has not received her salary arrears despite an order from the Supreme Court.

A division bench of justices V M Kanade and A R Joshi sought the response of the director and joint director of technical and education department by June 16.

Chitra Salunkhe was removed from service with effect from May 30, 2009, on the ground that her Bachelor of Arts degree from Kakatia University in Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, was bogus.

She challenged her dismissal and claimed that she was being harassed for taking up the issue of alleged malpractice by I A Inamdar, then principal of Siddarth College, to help IPS officer K L Bishnoi clear his LLB examination without appearing for the praticals.

Salunkhe had challenged her termination before the University and College Tribunal of Mumbai, which refused her relief. She then filed a petition before the high court.

A single judge bench of the high court had upheld her dismissal following which she filed an appeal before a division bench.

In December 2012, a division bench of the high court directed reinstatement of Salunkhe with payment of arrears. The decision was upheld by the Supreme Court a year later which directed the college to forward proposal to the government to pay Salunkhe's arrears.

However, till date Salunkhe says she has not received the money following which she approached the high court.

According to Salunkhe, her arrears amount to almost Rs 30 lakh.