The Allahabad High Court has said it is the duty of the state government to find out illegal wealth accumulated by government employees during their service period and take appropriate action against them.
The Lucknow bench of the high court also expressed concern over education mafia, saying that “there are education mafia amongst the government servants who are required to be warded off expeditiously”.
With this, the bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh dismissed a plea filed by Joint Director of Education (Ayodhya Division) Arvind Kumar Pandey who had challenged his suspension order issued on April 15, 2023, by the state government on corruption charges.
Passing the order, the bench asked the principal secretary (home) to take necessary action and directed for expediting the disciplinary proceedings and vigilance inquiry being conducted against Pandey.
Expecting strong action against the mafia, the bench observed, “The word ‘mafia’ is quite prevalent in India. There are ‘bahubalis’ and mafia in politics who have amassed huge wealth from the proceeds of crime and their reign of terror runs deep into hearts and psyches of law abiding citizens. There are sub categories of mafia, such as land mafia, nakal (cheating) mafia and education mafia, etc.”
“Commercialisation of education has eroded its very value. As a result, there are education mafia and cheating mafia in the system. Schools and colleges have become profit making establishments. It is the responsibility of the State and the society to clean the education system,” the bench said.
During the hearing, state counsel opposed the Pandey’s plea and stated that the petitioner had illegally regularized the services of 122 teachers in collusion with management committees of different colleges in Uttar Pradesh and thereafter, cancelled the regularization of 34 teachers illegally just to benefit them in the court of law, and hence he was not entitled to any relief.
