Mumbai

A senior Maharashtra government official has been removed from his post after his name was linked to the alleged hasty grant of minority status to 75 educational institutes following the death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, officials said on Wednesday.

The action against Milind Padmanabh Shenoy, deputy secretary in the Minority Development Department, was taken on Tuesday, a day after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stayed the approvals.

While Shenoy has been relieved of his responsibilities, he has not been assigned any other post so far, officials said.

Ajit Pawar and four others were killed in a plane crash in Baramati in Pune district on the morning of January 28.

According to officials, the first minority status certificate was issued at 3.09 pm on January 28, the day of the crash, and seven institutions received approvals the same day. The total number of approvals rose to 75 within the next three days.

A high-level inquiry has been ordered to ascertain how the files were processed, whether due procedure was followed and whether any earlier suspension on issuing minority certificates had been formally lifted.

“The chief minister has sought a comprehensive report on the entire sequence of events. If any irregularity or procedural lapse is found, stern action will be taken against those responsible,” a senior official said.

Deputy Chief Minister and Minority Development Minister Sunetra Pawar, who was sworn in after her husband Ajit Pawar’s death, had earlier directed officials to probe the matter and initiate strict action if any wrongdoing was established.

Chairing a review meeting of the department, she said it must function in a transparent and people-oriented manner, and that if certificates had been issued improperly, responsibility must be fixed after a thorough investigation.

The issue came to light after reports suggested that several approvals were granted after regular office hours.

State Minority Commission Chairman Pyare Khan termed the episode “deeply disturbing” and called for accountability, including a high-level inquiry and a probe by the CID.

“Granting minority status to 75 institutions within such a short span raises serious questions. The entire process must be examined thoroughly. If any irregularity is found, strict action should be taken against the officials responsible and a CID probe must be conducted,” Khan said.

He added that the Commission would seek detailed records of the approvals and review similar cases across the state to ensure the process was not misused. He also demanded registration of criminal cases against officials found responsible and said the Commission would initiate a review of over 8,500 minority institutions across Maharashtra.

Khan also said that the minority status granted to two schools in Akola district had already been cancelled after irregularities were detected.

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Minority status grants educational institutions certain exemptions under the Right to Education Act, including from the 25 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections, as well as greater administrative autonomy, making it a significant regulatory benefit.