High Court stayed transfer of sole English teacher at Panna government school

The Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur stayed the administrative transfer of secondary teacher Santosh Kumar Shukla of the education department. Shukla had been transferred from Government High School Pista, Ajaigarh block, Panna district, to Chhatarpur district. He was the only English teacher at the school.

It was argued in court that the transfer would leave the school with no English teacher, adversely affecting students’ teaching. It was also submitted that a day before the transfer order was issued, he was auto-relieved by the Directorate of Public Instruction, Bhopal, which appeared to be a malicious and politically motivated act.

The case was heard by a single bench of Justice Maninder Jeet Singh Bhatti of the High Court. Finding the arguments of the petitioner’s counsel factual and just, the court stayed the transfer order.

The case was argued by advocates Amit Kumar Pandey, Amit Kumar Shukla, Ajay Pandey and Nikhil Singh (High Court, Jabalpur).