Pune Sessions Court Grants Anticipatory Bail to Sinhgad Institute Trustees Over School Relocation Case

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A Pune sessions court has granted anticipatory bail to Maruti Nivrutti Navale and Sunanda Maruti Navale, trustees of Sinhgad Institute, following cheating allegations linked to the relocation of a school in Kondhwa Budruk.

Additional Sessions Judge D.R. Shetty allowed the bail application on October 17 regarding an FIR registered at Yeolewadi police station under Section 318(4) read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

Case Background and Prosecution Claims

The FIR was filed by Shankar Ramchandra Mandve, an assistant administrative officer in the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) education department.

The prosecution alleged that the trustees admitted nearly 62 students to Class 1 for the 2026–27 academic year despite a PMC notice dated February 12, 2026. The notice cautioned the management against granting fresh admissions due to an alleged breach of government circulars regarding school relocation from Survey No. 40/4A+4B to Survey No. 50/1.

Defense Arguments and Court Observations

Defending the trustees, Advocate Milind Pawar argued that the institute complied with relevant government circulars and relocated the school by approximately 1.5 kilometers within its own premises for administrative reasons—well within the permissible 5-kilometer limit. He also noted that a writ petition concerning the dispute remains pending before the Bombay High Court.

Judge Shetty highlighted key aspects in the order while granting relief:

No Parent Complaints: The investigating officer’s reply did not mention any complaints lodged by parents regarding alleged cheating.
Documentary Nature: The case relies primarily on documentary evidence, making custodial interrogation unnecessary.
Legal Applicability: The court questioned whether breaching administrative government circulars attracts criminal penal provisions under Section 318(4) of the BNS.

Bail Conditions

Confirming their interim protection, the court directed both applicants to execute personal bonds of ₹50,000 each, along with sureties of equal amounts, while requiring them to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. Stay tuned to know more about it and others only with us and if you have anything to share do comment below and share your thoughts.