MUMBAI, APRIL 5: The Bombay High Court has issued contempt notices to an Urdu medium school, the Abdulla Qureshi High School, Jogeshwari, for violating the School Tribunal order wherein one of the school teachers was directed by the tribunal to allow him to sign the muster, pending the final hearing of the matter.Shaik Bashir Mohammad Ishaque, an employee of the school had taken up the cause of the teachers and other members of the staff when he alleged that the school management, United Education Society, were underpaying the staff members. He had alleged that the school, though aided, was paying the teachers only Rs 1,300 per month till 1998 and Rs 2000 per month from 1999. He had alleged that the cheque books were being kept by the management and money was being selectively withdrawn to pay the staffers only a part of the salary due.However, when he complained about this to the Education Department, he claimed that he was told by the school not to attend it anymore and not to sign the muster. An appeal against the school was filed before the School Tribunal on August 3, 1999 and a stay obtained on August 4. However, when Shaik Bashir went to the Abdulla Qureshi High School, he was not allowed to sign the muster roll and a complaint was filed with the police. This was followed by the contempt petition.When the matter came up before Justice Deshmukh on March 23, 2000, the school filed an affidavit saying that the teacher had voluntarily left services and had received all his dues in a full and final settlement. The school also claimed that Shaik Bashir was not a permanent teacher and was working on a temporary basis.However, advocate for the petitioner Namrata Naik argued that he had not left the services, especially since being a family man he needed the job. The court then admitted the contempt petition and issued the notices. The notices are returnable after four weeks.
