NAVI MUMBAI, July 6 -- The police have filed an FIR against 24 parents for allegedly submitting forged address proof documents to get their children admitted to schools under the 25% quota for underprivileged children in the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The FIR is based on a complaint by Sitaram Rama Mohite, an education officer at the Panchayat Samiti and the chairperson of the RTE admission verification committee. The matter came to light after the Panchayat Samiti of the Panvel taluka, on March 25, directed all unaided schools, private educational institutions that do not receive regular financial assistance, to verify the residence proof submitted by those selected within the underprivileged quota. As per RTE norms, children residing within a 1km radius of unaided private schools are given a priority for admissions under the 25% quota. However, verification reports from schools such as Vishwajyot High School, Wigbor High School, and Ramsheth Thakur Public School in Kharghar revealed that 24 parents were not found at the address stated in their documents. "It is alleged that the accused parents either tampered with original documents or submitted completely fabricated proofs of residence to claim eligibility under the RTE quota," said the investigating officer. The online admission process was conducted on January 13, 2025.The applications were processed online via a lottery system managed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). Once children had been selected, their parents were asked to provide a proof of their residence along with other documents. The Panvel City police have registered a case under relevant sections of the BNS....