Anjali Milind Pendse v. Sinhagad Technical Educaion Society and Ors

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO. 6521 OF 2025 Sunetra Rajendra Pawar The State Of Maharashtra Thr. Principal Secretary, Department Of Higher And Technical Education & Ors. WRIT PETITION NO. 10485 OF 2025 Amol Nivrutti Bandal & Anr. ...Petitioners Sinhagad Technical Education Soc. Thr. Its Secretary & Ors. AND CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 76 OF 2026 IN WRIT PETITION (ST) NO. 6104 OF 2022 Dr. Poonam G. Sawant Maruti Nivrutti Navale Thr. Its President, The Sinhgad Technical Education Society & Ors. CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 349 OF 2026 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 6765 OF 2018 Rohini Aniruddha Mohekar Maruti Nivrutti Navale CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 77 OF 2026 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 14687 OF 2023 Meenakshi Dhar Maruti Nivrutti Navale CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 78 OF 2026 Roopa Dudhankar Maruti Nivrutti Navale CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 79 OF 2026 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 6767 OF 2018 Gajanan Vishvambharrao Patil Maruti Nivrutti Navale WRIT PETITION NO. 3914 OF 2016 Sinhgad Technical Education Society Pune Municipal Corporation And Ors. INTERIM APPLICATION NO. 17381 OF 2023 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 3914 OF 2016 Sinhgad Technical Education Society And Anr. ...Applicants Pune Municipal Corporation And Ors. WRIT PETITION NO. 3913 OF 2016 Sinhgad Technical Education Society Pune Municipal Corporation And Ors. INTERIM APPLICATION NO. 17739 OF 2023 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 3913 OF 2016 Sinhgad Technical Education Society Pune Municipal Corporation And Ors. INTERIM APPLICATION NO. 17380 OF 2023 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 3913 OF 2016 Sinhgad Technical Education Society And Anr. ...Petitioners Pune Municipal Corporation And Ors. CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 105 OF 2026 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 14889 OF 2023 Mahesh Shashikant Deshpande Maruti Nivrutti Navale CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 107 OF 2026 IN WRIT PETITION (ST) NO. 215 OF 2021 Rahul Chandrakant Salunkhe Maruti Nivrutti Navale CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 103 OF 2026 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 6081 OF 2021 Sandesh Shantaram Gaonkar Maruti Nivrutti Navale CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 106 OF 2026 IN WRIT PETITION (ST) NO. 209 OF 2021 Pankaj Subhash Desle Maruti Nivrutti Navale CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 108 OF 2026 IN WRIT PETITION (ST) NO. 6104 OF 2022 Prashant Bhavarlal Chordiya Maruti Nivrutti Navale WRIT PETITION NO. 1738 OF 2016 Sinhgad Technical Education Society Pune Municipal Corporation And Ors. CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 803 OF 2016 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 1738 OF 2016 Pune Municipal Corporation Thr. The Commissioner Sinhgad Technical Education Soc. Through President Prof. M. N. Navale INTERIM APPLICATION NO. 18229 OF 2023 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 1738 OF 2016 Sinhgad Technical Education Soc Thr. Its Duly Authorized Signatory The Pune Municipal Corporation Thr. Its Commissioner And Ors. CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 104 OF 2026 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 14887 OF 2023 Suchitra Shailesh Sasane Maruti Nivrutti Navale WRIT PETITION NO. 2886 OF 2026 Adwait Madhav Godse The State Of Maharashtra Thr. The Sec. Dept Of Medical Education And Drugs Dept & Ors. CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 113 OF 2026 Yadurao Ananda Kakade Vinod M Mohitkar CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 135 OF 2026 Aaishwaryadevi B Deshmukh Maruti Nivrutti Navale CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 136 OF 2026 Aarti Amod Agarkar Maruti Nivrutti Navale CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 142 OF 2026 IN WRIT PETITION (ST) NO. 6144 OF 2022 Abhijeet V Jadhav Maruti Nivrutti Navale CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 134 OF 2026 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 4410 OF 2024 Mayura Vishal Shelke Maruti Nivrutti Navale CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 157 OF 2026 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 7428 OF 2024 Dr. Pankaj Birajlal Miniyar Maruti Nivrutti Navale Thr Its President Sinhgad Technical Education Society WRIT PETITION NO. 4447 OF 2019 Sinhgad Technical Education Soc. Thru Auth. President Mr. M. N. Navale Pune Municipal Corp. Thru The Commissioner & Ors. CONTEMPT PETITION (ST) NO. 6664 OF 2026 Suman Sachin Jain Maruti Nivrutti Navle WRIT PETITION NO. 4731 OF 2026 Sharad S/o Santosh Patil The State Of Maharashtra Thr Its Secretary Higher And Technical And Ors WRIT PETITION NO. 3009 OF 2012 Sinhagad Technical Education Society Pune Municipal Corporation Through The Commissioner Corporation Bhavan, And Ors. CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 803 OF 2016 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 1738 OF 2016 Pune Municipal Corporation Thr. The Commissioner Sinhgad Technical Education Soc. Through President Prof. M.N. Navale WRIT PETITION NO. 4786 OF 2026 Shrikant Shrimant Barkade The State Of Maharashtra Thro. Principal Secretary WRIT PETITION NO. 4917 OF 2026 Anita Manoj Patki The State Of Maharashtra Throu. Principal Secretary, Ministry Of Higher And Technical Education & Ors. WRIT PETITION NO. 3983 OF 2019 Sinhgad Technical Education Society Thr. Mr. M. N. Navale And Ors. ...Petitioners State Of Maharashtra Thru. GP & Ors. CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 225 OF 2026 Mayur Vishwas Chavan Maruti Nivrutti Navale The Sinhagad Technical Education Society Through Its President WRIT PETITION NO. 5049 OF 2026 Sunita S Shintre And Ors. ...Petitioners The President/Secretary Sinhgad Tenchinal Education & Ors WRIT PETITION NO. 8439 OF 2026 Deepali Tanaji Chikane The State Of Maharashtra Thru Secretary & Ors. WRIT PETITION NO. 8437 OF 2026 Popat Tippana Patil The State Of Maharashtra Thr. The Secretary Higher And Technical Education & Ors. WRIT PETITION NO. 8438 OF 2026 Rajkumar Shivaji Jadhav The State Of Maharashtra Thru Secretary & Ors. WRIT PETITION NO. 8474 OF 2025 Singhad Technica Education Society The City Engineer, Pune Municipal Corporation WRIT PETITION NO. 8435 OF 2026 Raghvendra Prakash Gade The State Of Maharashtra Thr. The Secretary Higher And Technical Education & Ors. WRIT PETITION NO. 8433 OF 2026 Vijay Balasaheb Dhole The State Of Maharashtra Thr The Secretary & Ors. WRIT PETITION NO. 8431 OF 2026 Jyoti Rajendra Deshmukh Alias Jyoti Nilesh Irabattin The State Of Maharashtra Thro. The Secretary WRIT PETITION NO. 6407 OF 2026 Hitesh Kishor Muzumdar …Petitioners The State Of Maharashtra Thro. The Secretary Higher And Technical Education WRIT PETITION NO. 6941 OF 2026 Chetna Abhishek Joel The State Of Maha. Thr. Principal Secretary Ministry Of Higher And Technical Education & Anr. WRIT PETITION NO. 8534 OF 2026 Maruti Govind Tupe The State Of Maharashtra WRIT PETITION NO. 7082 OF 2026 Sachin Rajaram Kulkarni The State Of Maharashtra Thr. Principal Secretary & Ors WRIT PETITION NO. 6435 OF 2019 Sinhgad Technical Education Society Thr. President And Trustee Mr. M. N. Navale & Ors. ...Petitioners State Of Maharashtra Thr. GP High Court & Ors. INTERIM APPLICATION NO. 2038 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 6435 OF 2019 Sujata Sandip Agarwal & Ors. ...Petitioners Sinhgad Technical Education Society & Ors. WRIT PETITION NO. 8669 OF 2026 Shalini Rangnath Pradhan And Ors. ...Petitioners Sinhgad Technical Education Society Thr. Secretary & Ors. WRIT PETITION NO. 8664 OF 2026 Mohan Bhimrao Yelpale The State Of Maharashtra Thr. The Secretary Higher And Technical Education And Employee Dep. & Ors WRIT PETITION NO. 8685 OF 2026 Reshma Sachin Shinde And Ors. ...Petitioners Sinhgad Technical Education Society And Anr. WRIT PETITION NO. 10702 OF 2022 Mr. Anant Ragunath More And Ors. ...Petitioners State Of Maharashtra And Ors. WRIT PETITION NO. 14440 OF 2025 Anjali Milind Pendse Sinhagad Technical Educaion Society And Ors. INTERIM APPLICATION NO. 17381 OF 2023 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 3914 OF 2016 Sinhgad Technical Education Society And Anr. ...Petitioners Pune Municipal Corporation And Ors. INTERIM APPLICATION NO. 17380 OF 2023 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 3913 OF 2016 Sinhgad Technical Education Society And Anr. ...Petitioners Pune Municipal Corporation And Ors. INTERIM APPLICATION NO. 18229 OF 2023 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 1738 OF 2016 Sinhgad Technical Education Soc Thr. Its Duly Authorized Signatory The Pune Municipal Corporation Thr. Its Commissioner And Ors. CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 13 OF 2026 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 6767 OF 2018 Ms. Kavita Tryambakrao Rangari Rajendra Ubale (the Joint Director Of Higher Education) ...Respondents AND CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 226 OF 2026 Reena Partha Nath Maruti Nivrutti Navale Thr. Its President Sinhgad Technical Education Society AND WRIT PETITION NO. 2019 OF 2026 Rashmi Vishal Patil Alias Rashmi Kishor Patil The State Of Maharashtra Thr The Secretary Higher And Technical Education And Ors. AND WRIT PETITION NO. 6252 OF 2026 Punam W/o Sunil Raskar The State Of Maharashtra Thr. Its Secretary Higher And Tech. Education And Ors. AND WRIT PETITION NO. 6734 OF 2026 Sunil S/o Shivaji Raskar The State Of Maharashtra Thr. Its Secretary Higher And Tech. Education And Ors. AND WRIT PETITION NO. 9150 OF 2026 Yogesh Laxman Nimbalkar And Ors. ...Petitioners The President / Secretary, Sinhgad Technical Education Society And Ors. AND WRIT PETITION (ST) NO. 12153 OF 2026 Dr. Aniruddha S. Kulkarni And Ors ...Petitioners The State Of Maharashtra Thru Secretary And Ors. _________ Mr. Vaibhav Ugle a/w Mr. Vikas Somawanshi, Mr. Prashant Mahajan for Petitioner in WP/6521/2025, WP/4786/2026, WP/4917/2026, WP/6941/2026. Mr. Vaibhav Kulkarni a/w Prathmesh K. Deshpande for Petitioner in WP/10485/2025,

WP/14440/2025,

CP/225/2026,

WP/5049/2026, WP/8669/2026, WP/8685/2026, CP/226/2026, 9150/2026. Mr. Suresh Pakale, Sr. Adv. a/w Mr. Saurabh Pakale, Mr. Nilesh Desai i/b Padmaja Malgaonkar for Petitoner in CP/76/2026, CP/349/2026, CP/77/2026, CP/78/2026, CP/79/2026, CP/13/2026, CP/103/2026, CP/104/2026, CP/105/2026, CP/106/2026, CP/107/2026, CP/108/2026, CP/134/2026, CP/135/2026,

CP/136/2026,

CP/142/2026,

CP(ST)/6664/2026, WP/2019/2026 and WP(ST)/12153/2026. Mr. Pranav Bhoite for Petitioner in WP/6407/2026, WP/8431/2026, WP/8433/2026,

WP/8435/2026,

WP/8437/2026,

WP/8438/2026, WP/8439/2026, WP/8534/2026, WP/8664/2026. Mr. Maheshkumar S. Sonawane for Petitioner in WP/4731/2026. Mr. Amar Chavan for Petitioner in WP/10702/2022 and 7926/2023. Mr. Nandkumar Jiwade for Petitioner in WP/6252/2026 and 6734/2026. Mr. V. P. Sawant, Sr. Adv. a/w Mr. Nitin Dhumal for Respondent STES and Mr. M. N. Navale for in Contempt Petitions in all matters. Ms. Anjali Helekar a/w Ms. Anu C. Kaladharan for R. No. 3 AICTE in WP/6407/2026,

WP/8431/2026,

WP/8433/2026,

WP/8435/2026, WP/8437/2026,

WP/8438/2026,

WP/8439/2026,

WP/8534/2026, WP/8664/2026. Mrs. Neha Bhide, GP a/w K. B. Dighe, Addl. GP and Aditya Deolekar, AGP for State in WP No.6521 of 2025. Mrs. Neha Bhide, GP a/w O. A. Chandurkar, Addl. GP and Aditya Deolekar, AGP for State in CP No.76 of 2026. Mrs. Neha Bhide, GP a/w K. B. Dighe, Addl. GP and S. P. Kamble, AGP for State in CP No.77 of 2026. Mrs. Neha Bhide, GP a/w P. P. Kakade, Addl. GP and Pooja Joshi Deshpande, AGP for State in CP No.78 of 2026. Mrs. Neha Bhide, GP a/w P. P. Kakade, Addl. GP and V G. Badgujar, AGP for State in WP No. 6252 of 2026. Mrs. Neha Bhide, GP a/w O. A. Chandurkar, Addl. GP and P. N. Diwan, AGP for State in WP No. 6734 of 2026. Mrs. Neha Bhide, GP a/w O. A. Chandurkar, Addl. GP and P. B. Chavan, AGP for State in WP No. 9150 of 2026. Mrs. Neha Bhide, GP a/w O. A. Chandurkar, Addl. GP and D. S. Deshmukh, AGP for State in WP (St.) No. 12153 of 2026. __________ CORAM: G. S. KULKARNI & AARTI SATHE, JJ. DATE: 27 JULY 2026 P.C.

¶1These are batch of petitions filed by the employees of the respondent - Sinhgad Technical Education Society (for short the "STES"). Also contempt petitions are filed by the employees alleging intentional disobedience of the orders passed by this Court by the STES.

¶2In pursuance of an order dated 13 July 2026 passed by this Bench, the proceedings were placed before the Hon'ble the Acting Chief Justice for clubbing and assignment of the matters pertaining to the STES before one Bench. We are informed that the Hon'ble the Acting Chief Justice has assigned all these matters to be heard by this Bench.

¶3We have heard learned counsel for the parties for quite some time. There are large number of proceedings, namely the petitions filed by the employees. There are also proceedings which are filed by the institution against the State Government also there are number of contempt petitions filed by the employees. We however wish to give priority to the petitions which are filed by the employees whose grievances are in regard to non payment of the salaries for a very long period. The issues in such category of cases directly affect their livelihood. These are employees who are teaching and non-teaching employees.

¶4In our order dated 13 July 2026, we had also made a brief reference to the litigation as resorted by the institution against the State Government in regard to the release of outstanding amounts towards the tuition fees of students belonging to the reserved categories, whose fees are reimbursed by the State Government. The STES is stated to have raised demand for such amounts in respect of the students who were admitted by its educational institutions and is asserting the reimbursement of amounts due and entitled to the institution in that regard. We are informed that the pattern is that either such amounts are credited to the account of the students who have paid the fees to the institution, or sometimes it is the institution which is directly paid by the State Government.

¶5As urged at the Bar, in fact, all such issues were gone into by a co-ordinate Bench of this Court in the proceedings of Writ Petition No. 6765 of 2018 (Suman Sachin Jain and Ors. Vs. The State of Maharashtra and Ors.) and other connected matters, on which an order dated 17 July 2025 came to be passed. By such order, this Court appointed the Joint Director of Education to delve on all such issues and take an appropriate position insofar as the payment of such outstanding amounts are concerned. From what has been informed to us, it appears that there were serious issues due to non-cooperation of the STES before the Joint Director. This is however disputed by Mr. Sawant, learned senior advocate appearing for the STES. We however, find that such non-cooperation was the subject matter of consideration in the subsequent orders passed by the coordinate Bench of this Court. Later in the present proceedings, we shall delve on all such issues so as to ascertain the actual scenario, but only after the Joint Director of Education who has been assigned the task and who is seized with the proceedings, places on record an affidavit setting out all details as to what had happened from 17 July 2025 till date on compliance with the Court's orders and the Court being explained why the issues could not be resolved despite one year having already passed, as expected in the said orders passed by this Court. We shall also examine the compliances of the orders passed by this Court, and more particularly, the order dated 18 March 2025, passed by a coordinate Bench of this Court and as modified.

¶6Today Mr. Sawant has placed before us a list of 19 Writ Petitions and the companion contempt petitions which were filed in these matters to state that these petitions pertain to 772 employees who are no more in service i.e., either they have resigned or they have been terminated. According to the petitioner, 110 of them were terminated. It is stated that an amount of approximately 21 crores is due and payable to these employees / petitioners. Mr. Sawant, on instructions states that STES would disburse such amounts to the said petitioners by 31 August 2026. The statement of Mr. Sawant is accepted. Mr. Pakale, learned senior counsel for the petitioner, however submits that although such amounts are payable, such amounts need to be accepted to have crystallized during the month of February 2026.

¶7We find that there are contempt petitions pending on which show cause notices have been issued against the STES and its founders. As the Court is seized with the contempt proceedings, the statements on instructions as made by Mr. Sawant need to be placed on record by way of an undertaking on affidavit to be filed by the contemnor that such amounts would be paid to the 772 petitioners by 31 August 2026. Such affidavit be filed before the adjourned date of hearing and served on all the parties.

¶8Insofar as the other petitioners who are presently in the employment of the STES and who have not been paid salary for more than 22 months, we shall consider the rival contentions on the adjourned date, after the affidavit of the Joint Director of Education is placed on record, which be filed on or before Monday (3 August 2026) as we propose to list these matters on 5 August 2026. Let the affidavit be served on all the parties not later than 3 August 2026. There shall not be any further extension for the Joint Director of Education to file such an affidavit. In this regard, we also sound a note of caution that the affidavit has to be a proper affidavit and which ought not to have any lacunae for any reason whatsoever, so that any shortcomings in the affidavit are not required to be attributed to concealing of any materials from the Court. Similarly, we permit the petitioners to place on record an up-to-date, compilation of all the orders which the petitioners intend to rely on and any other materials in support of the respective contentions. A statement of the amounts due and payable to each of the petitioners be prepared in a separate sheet, incorporating the date from which the amounts had become due and payable and of any amounts which the committee appointed by this Court of Hon'ble Mr. Justice Rajesh Ketkar (Retired) has considered to be due and payable by the STES to the petitioners/employees.

¶9Let all the relevant information in regard to the petitioners who as on date are in the service of the STES be furnished to the advocate appearing for the institution, so as to apprise the Court of the appropriate amounts payable to the petitioners. We would also want the advocate for the petitioners to prepare a consolidated statement of such amounts that are due and payable, which would correspond to the individual calculations for each petitioner.

¶10We shall proceed to hear these proceedings on a day-to-day basis after the adjourned date and make an endeavour to put a quietus to this whole issue. We cannot countenance that employees who are supposed to be in educational institutions are required to spend their time in Court struggling to receive their salaries, the basic source of their livelihood/survival.

¶11The parties are put to notice that not only the petitions which are filed by the employees for receipt of salary shall be taken up, but also the contempt proceedings. If the Court is satisfied that the payment of salary to the teaching and non-teaching staff, who are before the Court, is in any manner connected with and/or related to the receipt of the amounts from the State Government then in such event the petitions filed by STES would also be required to be considered. If, after hearing the first set of petitions filed by the employees, we are of the opinion that the conduct of the proceedings filed by the institution and the proceedings relating to payment of salaries have no nexus whatsoever with the amounts which were to be received by the STES from the State Government, then an independent view would be required to be taken in the petitions filed by the teaching and non-teaching staff/petitioners, as also in the contempt petitions, while postponing the hearing of the petition filed by the institution against the State Government.

¶12In this view of the matter, we direct that the contemnor shall remain present before the Court on the adjourned date of hearing, as he has already responded to the show cause notice issued under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 read with Article 215 of the Constitution of India.

¶13Before parting, we find that the issues raised herein are quite serious, as they directly touch the livelihood of a large number of employees who are working with the institution. We also deeply regret to note the petitioners' submission that many employees including Class IV employees have committed suicide merely because they were not paid salaries by the STES, and in respect of which Criminal proceedings are stated to be pending.

¶14It is on such backdrop, we may observe that the present proceedings cannot be considered to be any ordinary proceedings, as the issues involved, affect the livelihood of the employees of the institution. We believe that no institution can function in a manner which is prejudicial to the interest of its employees and/or exploitative of the employees by not paying salaries. Fortunately, in the State of Maharashtra, although there are a large number of institutions, in our judicial journey, we are yet to come across any institution where employees have been perpetually subjected to hardship in regard to the non payment of their salaries. The non-payment of salaries is something which directly breaches the very basic fundamental rights guaranteed to the petitioners under Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution read with Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution. No person or institution having regard to the rule of law, can so brazenly violate the rights of the employees in such a manner. This cannot be expected from any educational institution which is managing its affairs as per law. We shall delve on all such issues when we intend to pass final orders in the present proceedings bearing in mind the settled principles of law as laid down in the decisions of the Supreme Court.

¶15With the aforesaid observations, stand over to 5 August 2026 at 3.00 p.m. To be listed along with Interim Application (St.) No.19373 of 2026 in WP No.10378 of 2022, WP No.20628 of 2026, WP No.20594 of 2026 and WP No.20518 of 2026.

¶16Parties to act on an authenticated copy of the order.

¶17The Joint Director shall also remain present in the Court.

¶18All other matters which are required to be listed as assigned to this Bench be accordingly listed. The numbers of such matters be provided by the learned advocates, so that all these petitions can be listed on the adjourned date of hearing.

¶19Insofar as Writ Petition No.4731 of 2026 is concerned, we direct the petitioner to approach the management within a period of two days from today. The institution shall thereafter take an appropriate decision to release part of the salary to the petitioner, as petitioner is in a precarious financial condition. (AARTI SATHE, J.) (G. S. KULKARNI, J.) Signed by: Kiran Kawre Designation: PA To Honourable Judge Date: 28/07/2026 21:35:41