The 56-year-old principal Kartar Singh was arrested on November 4 and lodged in Jind jail. He was blamed sexually harassing at least 142 girl students in a school at Jind in Haryana. The district’s deputy commissioner also intervened in the matter in this caseby getting complaints against him from the victim girl students as well as the parents of the students who also applied lock at the school gate. Police investigation revealed the principal of the school sexually assaulted at least 142 girl students. Investigation revealed that at least 142 girl students had testified against the principal of the government girls school, in front of a committee headed by a sub divisional magistrate.
The committee which conducted a preliminary inquiry found principal prima facie guilty. The committee interacted with 390 girl students of different classes from 9th to 12th. Out of these, 142 students have directly or indirectly confirmed the allegations levelled against the principal, the deputy commissioner said. The Jind district police had registered a case against Kartar Singh on October 30 under Section 8: the sexual assault of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences of Pocso Act and Section 354 (molestation) of the Indian Penal Code, after which he was placed under suspension by the education department of state government.
The Deputy Commissioner said that the committee has recommended disciplinary action against the accused principal. This would be in addition to the criminal proceedings initiated against him under Pocso and IPC and a regular inquiry would be initiated against him and an additional deputy commissioner would conduct it after a charge sheet is submitted against him. Police arrested Kartar Singh on November 4 and lodged in Jind jail on judicial remand. After questioning during police remand, other Sections 341(wrongful restraint), 342 (confinement) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and Section 10 of the Pocso Act were added to the FIR registered by the police.
The alleged crime came to light August 31 when students of the school wrote a letter addressed to the President Droupadi Murmu with copies to Haryana governor and the National Women Commsision seeking action against the school principal for the alleged sexual harassment. The Haryana secondary education department suspended the principal on October 27. SHO Urchana police station Balwan Singh said, one girl died by suicide at her house and two others died of other reasons, adding all of them were enrolled at the same school. The police also involved the parents of students who made allegations against the principal as part of investigations against the accused principal.
On August 31this year, a five-page letter addressed to the President of India, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India, the Haryana governor, Haryana Chief Minister and the state education minister. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar while talking to media persons said that the government have zero tolerance for such incidents and the accused, whosoever he may be, would not be spared at any cost adding that a woman principal was posted at the Jind school as well as 16 other staff members had been transferred. He said, Renu Bhatia, the chairperson of the Haryana state women commission has been asked to organise seminars in collaboration with the police to prevent such heinous acts from occurring at educational institutes. Khattar further added that Haryana has already enacted legislation to curb such incidents, including a provision for capital punishment.
