Haryana: Govt school principal arrested for alleged sexual harassment of over 50 girls in Jind

A principal of Haryana government school in Jind district was arrested for alleged sexual harassment of more than 50 girl students, police said on Sunday.

“The accused principal was arrested on Saturday,” Deputy Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Bhatia was quoted as saying by the  PTI.

“He had been on the run for five days, but our teams arrested him. He will be produced before a court (in Jind) and we will be seeking his police remand to conduct further investigations,” Bhatia told PTI. 

Earlier, the Haryana State Commission for Women had said that more than 50 girl students of the government school in Jind district had accused the principal of sexual harassment.

“We have received 60 written complaints against the principal from the girl students. Out of this, 50 are complaints from girls who stated physical abuse at the hands of the accused. Ten other girls, in their complaint, said they knew the principal was into such things,” the State Commission for Women's chairperson Renu Bhatia had said.

On Monday, the Haryana Police had booked the school principal, days after he was suspended by the Jind administration over allegations of sexual harassment.

The police had registered a case against the school principal under Sections 354-A (sexual harassment), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code and under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

According to Renu Bhatia, all the complainants were minor. 

The victims alleged that the accused used to call them to his office and “indulge in obscene acts”, she added.

According to the report by PTI citing sources, a group of girl students of the school had also reportedly recently shot off letters to the Prime Minister's Office and the National Commission for Women detailing their ordeal.