RTE Admission Fraud: 24 Parents Booked In Navi Mumbai For Submitting Fake Address Proofs

Navi Mumbai: Panvel City Police have registered a case against 24 parents for allegedly submitting fake address proofs to secure school admissions for their children under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The parents are accused of cheating the government by claiming to reside within a 1 km radius of the schools, a key eligibility criterion under RTE, despite living outside the specified limit.

According to police, the complainant, had alleged that the accused parents not only submitted false residential documents but, in some cases, also tampered with original papers to create forged evidence. Based on the alleged fraudulent documentation, their children were granted admission under the 25% RTE quota meant for economically and socially disadvantaged students.

The investigation began after Panvel Panchayat Samiti’s Group Education Officer, Sitaram Mohite, directed local schools to verify the residence proofs submitted by parents. Following this, Ramseth Thakur Public School, Vishwajyot High School, and VIBGYOR High School in Kharghar conducted verifications and found that several families had provided fake documents.

"A detailed report submitted by these schools confirmed that 24 students had been admitted under RTE through forged residential proofs," an officer from Panvel City police station said.

Subsequently, an FIR was registered against the 24 parents and others who allegedly helped in preparing the fake documents. Charges include cheating, forgery, and misleading the government. The police have initiated further investigation into the matter.

The RTE admission process in Maharashtra was conducted online on January 13 for unaided schools, mandating that children living within a 1 km radius be given priority. Authorities believe this clause was allegedly exploited by the accused to fraudulently gain admissions.