A government school principal in Jind district, Haryana, has been apprehended by the police on charges of sexually harassing more than 50 girl students. The arrest was made on Saturday by the five-member Special Investigation Team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Amit Kumar Bhatia. The principal had been evading capture for five days before being caught by the police. He will be presented before a court in Jind, and the police will request his custody for further investigation.
Earlier, the Haryana State Commission for Women had received complaints from over 50 female students of the government school in Jind district, accusing the principal of sexual harassment. Subsequently, the Haryana Police booked the principal on charges of sexual harassment, following his suspension by the Jind administration.
Renu Bhatia, Chairperson of the State Commission for Women, stated that they had received 60 written complaints against the principal, with 50 of them alleging physical abuse by the accused. Ten other girls mentioned that they were aware of the principal’s misconduct. The police in Jind district registered a case against the principal under Sections 354-A (sexual harassment), 341 (wrongful restraint), and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code, along with the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Bhatia emphasized that all the complainants were minors. The victims claimed that the principal would summon them to his office and engage in inappropriate behavior. Jind Deputy Commissioner Mohd Imran Raza confirmed the allegations, stating that the girls accused the principal of engaging in obscene acts with them.
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