HC orders govt to release teachers’ salaries within four weeks

Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court directed the Maharashtra govt to release pending salaries of hundreds of teachers and staff within four weeks, offering a big relief in the contentious Shalarth ID verification case.The HC order came during Monday's hearing before a division bench comprising Justices Mukulika Jawalkar and Nandesh Deshpande, when the petitioners sought a fixed timeline for disbursal of dues. Accepting the plea, the court instructed the state to clear salaries withheld since March 2025 within the stipulated period. The state govt is now preparing to challenge the order in the Supreme Court through a Special Leave Petition (SLP), with officials indicating that preparations are nearly complete.The salary freeze followed a February 2025 probe into alleged fake Shalarth IDs, which triggered scrutiny of appointments made during that period. As the investigation progressed, payments to affected teachers were halted, prompting multiple petitions before the high court.During the latest hearing, the state, represented by Sangita Jachak, opposed the application and sought time to respond, citing a Supreme Court ruling to argue maintainability. The bench rejected the objections and reiterated that the dues must be cleared within four weeks.In earlier proceedings, the court granted interim relief directing payment of salaries, a move the state challenged before the Supreme Court. The apex court questioned how salaries could be released before completion of the inquiry and urged expedited disposal of the case. However, the High Court subsequently noted that "no criminal case has been registered" against the teachers and observed that withholding salaries without notice was unjustified.