In a stern move, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has initiated the process to file a criminal case against a private English-medium school for allegedly refusing to provide teaching staff for election duty. Civic commissioner and district election officer Saurabh Rao announced the decision on Sunday, marking a significant escalation in enforcing electoral discipline.
Police Case Under New Legal Framework
Senior inspector N Kolhatkar of the Kasarwadavli police station confirmed that a case is being registered against the school authorities. The legal action is being pursued under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with other relevant provisions. "Once the case is registered, a notice will be issued to the school on Monday," Kolhatkar stated. The formal clearance for this legal proceeding was granted by the civic body late on Saturday night.
Defiance of Election Department Directives
Commissioner Saurabh Rao, in a press statement issued late Sunday, detailed the school's repeated non-compliance. He revealed that election department teams attempted twice to serve appointment orders on the school principal, but were refused. A subsequent official notice was also ignored by the school management. This persistent defiance prompted the administration to take action in strict accordance with the guidelines issued by the State Election Commission.
Civic officials noted that this is likely the first instance in Thane where such stringent legal action has been initiated against a school authority for failing to cooperate with the election process. The step underscores a zero-tolerance policy towards obstruction of electoral preparations.
Broader Crackdown on Election Duty Absenteeism
This case is part of a larger drive to ensure full participation in poll-related work. In a related development, the election department had earlier warned more than 2,000 staff members who skipped pre-poll training sessions on Friday about potential legal consequences. Following these warnings, a majority of the absent staff reported for the training on Saturday.
Commissioner Rao issued a further warning, stating that employees assigned election duty who remain absent on January 14 and 15 will face strict action. The administration is determined to ensure a smooth and well-staffed election process, leaving no room for non-cooperation from any quarter, be it government employees or private institutions.
