Pune ZP orders Blue Bells High School to down shutters in 7 days
On September 22, 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had seized two floors of the Blue Bells High School and Junior College building after investigations revealed that the premises were being used for terrorist- and anti-national activities including weapons’ training and radicalisation of Muslim youth by the banned Islamic outfit, Popular Front of India (PFI)
The Pune Zilla Parishad (ZP) education department has revoked the permission of the Blue Bells High School and Junior College, Kondhwa Budruk, and ordered its closure in seven straight days, claiming that the school had obtained its first accreditation and self-accreditation using fake and forged documents. The ZP education department has further said that the students of this school will now be transferred to and adjusted in other nearby schools.
The Pune ZP education officer (primary) Sandhya Gaikwad on Thursday issued an order in this regard stating, “The Blue Bells High School and Junior College has received the first approval and self-approval from this office by submitting the order to allow Blue Bells High School and Junior College to start a self-financed school in all branches of English medium and the order from the deputy director of education.”
“Upon verification, both the aforementioned orders have been found to be fake and forged. Both the orders are being cancelled as the approval was obtained by submitting the first approval and self-approval proposal to the Pune ZP office using fake and forged documents. As the school is unauthorised, all students should be adjusted in the nearest recognised schools and such a report should be submitted to the office within seven days,” the order further stated.
On September 22, 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had seized two floors of the Blue Bells High School and Junior College building after investigations revealed that the premises were being used for terrorist- and anti-national activities including weapons’ training and radicalisation of Muslim youth by the banned Islamic outfit, Popular Front of India (PFI). Thereafter, an inquiry conducted by the office of the deputy director of education had found the school to possess a bogus recognition certificate. The school was found to have a letter signed by the then deputy director of education but the inbound and outbound number of the letter was found to be unavailable with the office of the deputy director of education.
Asked about the Pune ZP education department’s latest action against the school, Reshma Fazalekarim Shaikh, founder and principal, Blue Bells High School and Junior College, said, “We have not received any order from the Pune ZP but we have got to know from the news that our school has been considered illegal by the ZP education department. We have all the proper permissions and documents to run the school. If there is any fake or false document given, it is from the government system through which we have got the documents and permissions. We are now going to hold a meeting with the education department officials.”
