Overview
- Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis put the January 28–February 2 approvals in abeyance and ordered a high-level inquiry, while Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar directed a departmental probe.
- Deputy Secretary Milind Padmanabh Shenoy, whose digital signature appears on all 75 certificates, was transferred on administrative grounds pending further scrutiny.
- Department records show the first certificate was timestamped 3:09 pm on January 28 during state mourning, with large batches processed on January 29–30, including 25 Podar schools and other trusts across at least 14 districts.
- Documents indicate approvals had been effectively paused since an October 12 directive, with no certificates issued from August to January 27 before the brief surge.
- The Maharashtra State Minority Commission sought suspension of the documents and urged an impartial probe such as CID or SIT, as political leaders alleged wrongdoing including claims of bribe-taking that remain under investigation.