Girls accuse principal of sexual harassment, FIR lodged
LUCKNOW: In a high tension drama at National Inter College, a group of girls along with their family members levelled charges of sexual harassment against the principal and staged protest on the college premises.
They also accused principal Uma Shankar Singh of abusing them and threatening to fail them in examination.
The police have registered an FIR against the principal and further probing the matter.
In the FIR, three girl students of Class 11 have alleged sexual harassment by the principal.
However, the principal denied allegations while stating it to be a conspiracy of some senior teachers to remove him from the post. He told the media persons that CCTV cameras were installed on the college campus including his office room and the police could watch it to know the truth.
On Tuesday, a group of intermediate girls reached the college with their parents and started accusing the principal of sexual harassment and misbehaviour. One of the three girls alleged that the principal confined her and her two friends in his office room on Monday when they had gone to collect their results. She said the principal hurled abusive remarks against them.
Another girl alleged the principal was doing this for the last many months. She said the principal had asked for her mobile number to send important messages related to academics, but soon he started visiting her house on the pretext on helping her in studies and used to stay till late night.
She also alleged that the principal got indulged in indecent talks with her and her younger sister and sent obscene messages to her and other girls, but she and her family members feared complaining against him as he would have spoiled their career.
Following protest, a police team comprising women cops visited the college campus and also visited the principal’s house after not finding him in his office when the girls demanded his immediate arrest. The police team had to return from there as his family members denied their entry in absence of proper warrant to search the house.
District police spokesman Arun Singh said FIR against the principal was lodged on the application of father of one the three girls.
He said the complainant had mentioned in the application that the principal often tried to indulge in indecent acts with the girls and some college staff alleged that he also misbehaved with women teachers. The complainant demanded stern action and arrest of the principal.
Arun Singh said FIR has been lodged under IPC section 354 A for physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures, sending indecent message and making sexually coloured remark; and section 506 for criminal intimidation.
He said a section of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act has also been slapped against the principal.
THE PRINCIPAL DENIED ALLEGATIONS WHILE STATING IT TO BE A CONSPIRACY OF SOME SENIOR TEACHERS TO REMOVE HIM FROM THE POST