Mumbai: Over 200 protest school principal’s suspension

Protesters outside the Maratha High School in Worli to show their solidarity with suspended principal Hemant Gamre

Nearly 200 students and alumni of the Maratha High School in Worli protested outside the school against the suspension of the principal, Hemant Gamre. Parents of numerous students as well as residents of the area also joined the protest to display their solidarity.

Gamre was suspended on Thursday following a lengthy inquiry that went on for several months. The inquiry was constituted on numerous grounds, one of them being that the school's enrolment numbers were not improving under Gamre's leadership.

The students and alumni, however, have questioned the decision, calling the move arbitrary and unfair.

Also Read: Mumbai University gives just 60 days for exam preparation

Sandip Shinde, an alumnus from the 1990 batch said, "We had written to the management, asking them to discuss the matter with us and make things transparent. We were supposed to meet with the management in a day or two, but instead got to know that Gamre sir had been suspended."

Another alumnus, Anand Raimane from the 1995 batch, added, "Gamre sir has given over three decades of his life to the school. We have given an ultimatum to the school management to revoke Gamre sir's suspension order, failing which we shall file a complaint with the police."

When contacted Raj Sakharkar, Vice Chairman of the Maratha High School Trust said, "Enrolment numbers were dipping but there was no initiative from his side. We often found him coming to school late and leaving early. Even more serious was the fact that Rs 10,000, which two students won in a competition, never reached them. A laptop issued to him was ‘misplaced'. Are we not supposed to take disciplinary action? A show cause notice was given to him, but we never got any satisfactory replies," said Sakharkar.