look news india
Allahabad High Court has taken a serious stand after a shocking case related to the Education Department of Uttar Pradesh came to light. The court has ordered a thorough investigation into the matter of continuous salary being paid to an assistant teacher who has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. This matter is related to public interest, misuse of government funds and transparency of the education system, on which the court has taken strict cognizance.
What is the whole matter and how did the controversy arise?
This entire legal dispute is related to Shri Vyantananda Sanskrit Higher Secondary School located in Sikandarpur in Ballia district. Sudhakar Shukla, an assistant teacher posted here, was found to be the main accused in a murder case of 2011 (Crime No. 289/2011). On July 15, 2015, the trial court convicted him under sections 302, 34 of the IPC and Arms Act and sentenced him to life imprisonment. After being sentenced, he filed a criminal appeal in the High Court, which is still pending. The High Court had released him on bail on July 29, 2024, after completing 14 years in jail including the actual sentence of 13 years and remission. After getting bail, the then District Inspector of Schools (DIOS) of Ballia had issued an order on March 14, 2026, allowing single-operation of the salary account for payment of the salary of the accused teacher. This order was challenged by the management committee of the school in the Allahabad High Court.
High Court’s strict remarks and instructions for independent investigation
The case came up for hearing before a single bench of Justice Vinod Diwakar. During the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer argued that mere grant of bail does not mean that the conviction of the lower court has been stayed or cancelled. Unless the competent court stays the conviction, a convict cannot get the right to get a government job and salary. The state government’s lawyer also supported this point. After hearing these arguments, Justice Vinod Diwakar said in his order that since public money is involved and it affects the entire education system of the state, it is very important to keep the records transparent and strictly follow the law.
The court has directed the present District School Inspector (DIOS) of Ballia to investigate this entire payment issue in depth. The court has clarified that the investigation should not be limited only to the documents submitted by the concerned parties. The DIOS will have to independently verify the records of the educational institution, its own office, the office of the Joint Director of Education, the Directorate of Education and the concerned courts. The next date of hearing in this case has been fixed as September 10 and before that a detailed report has been directed to be presented before the court.