Pune: District and Sessions Court has denied the pre-arrest bail plea of Rohini Lad, a school principal accused of running an unauthorized school in Manjari for five years using fake government documents.
The court emphasized the gravity of the case, stating that the accused had misused the education system for personal gain and that custodial interrogation was necessary to investigate how the forged documents were created.
A case has been registered against school manager Satyam Chavan (40) and principal Rohini Dattatray Lad (42), both accused of forgery and fraud under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. The complaint was lodged by the education officer of Haveli Taluka at Hadapsar Police Station following an investigation directed by the Pune Zilla Parishad’s education department.
According to the prosecution, the accused operated the unauthorized school in Manjari without government approval, misleading parents and students while collecting hefty fees. The school functioned for five years before being exposed, during which fake documents were allegedly used to present the institution as legitimate.
In her defense, Rohini Lad's legal team argued that she was appointed as the principal by the school’s trust on March 9, 2024, and currently serves at a different school in Uruli Kanchan, with no active involvement in the illegal school’s administration. Based on this, the defense requested bail.
However, Additional Public Prosecutor Sanjay Pawar strongly opposed the plea, asserting that the accused played a direct role in running the school without authorization, producing forged government documents, and collecting high fees from students. The prosecution stressed that custodial interrogation was necessary to investigate the source of the forged documents and the extent of the fraud.
Considering the seriousness of the allegations and the need for further investigation, Additional Sessions Judge S.R. Narwade rejected the principal’s pre-arrest bail plea. The case continues to be under investigation.