Pune: 48 parents have allegedly submitted fake rental agreements to secure admissions for their children under the Right to Education (RTE) act at the Shri Shri Ravishankar Vidya Mandir School in Bhugaon (Mulshi).

Despite being alerted to the fraudulent documents, the authorities reportedly ignored the matter and allowed admissions.

The issue was brought to light by Gulab Mahadu Mirghe, a local resident of Matalwadi, who noticed that many parents were submitting false documents to claim they resided within one kilometer of the school, as required by the RTE criteria.

Matalwadi is a small village with only about 15 to 20 houses, making it impossible for so many families to be living there.

Nevertheless, the fake rental agreements were accepted by the Mulshi Panchayat Committee, which was overseeing the admission process.

Mirghe took his complaints, supported by evidence, to senior education officials but was met with inaction.

A team from the education department was sent to verify the addresses, but when Mirghe attempted to present the facts, he was allegedly warned by officials not to interfere, with threats of legal action against him.

Mirghe has called for a thorough investigation, asking that a competent official be assigned to verify the authenticity of each rental agreement submitted by the parents.

He claims that wealthy families have exploited the system, using fake documents to secure admissions intended for the underprivileged, with the alleged collusion of government officials.

In his written complaint, Mirghe further alleges that officials tipped off the parents, advising them to be present at their supposed rental addresses during the verification process to secure their children’s admissions.