High Court orders Jubilee SG Ole Kenta to remain in office pending case

The Bombay High Court has criticized Pune’s Sinhgad Technical Education Society (STES) for failing to pay its employees' salaries over an extended period. Referring to the plight of STES employees who have been owed wages for years, the court stated that the institute's handling of staff payments amounted to either negligence or illegal activity.

In a ruling issued on September 18, the court demanded an explanation from the state government and its education department as to why its oversight of STES went unchecked and no action was taken to address the unpaid wages in accordance with the law. The high court was presiding over over 100 lawsuits filed by around 1,200 STES staff members demanding compensation for the unpaid wages.

The court also instructed the state’s Directorate of Technical Education, OBC welfare department, and the tribal development department to deposit Rs 27.91 crore, which has been pending as reimbursement for students admitted under quotas, within two weeks. This money is to be distributed to the employees as overdue salaries.

Sachin Shinde, an assistant professor at one of STES's engineering colleges, who has been fighting for wage reimbursement for eight years and is currently suspended by the institute, highlighted that the government’s contribution was just a fraction of the overall unpaid wages owed.

The court noted that STES president Maruti Navale had submitted an affidavit claiming that Rs 21.04 crore had been deposited towards salaries across 22 petitions filed by staff by August 31, 2026. However, the court pointed out that some amounts could not be deposited due to financial constraints. The court directed the STES president to provide data within 10 days on the number of remaining employees who receive salaries, the challenges they face in receiving their pay, and how much is owed to each of them. The next hearing in the matter is set for October 5, 2026.