Woman attempts self immolation near Vidhan Bhawan

LUCKNOW:Alleging sexual harassment by a school principal, a 35-year-old woman tried to immolate herself near Vidhan Bhawan here on Tuesday afternoon.

She also accused the police of favouring the principal due to his alleged political links and compelling her to turn hostile in three cases of molestation, criminal intimidation and attack that she had lodged against the accused.

Police deployed near the Vidhan Bhawan foiled the woman’s attempt and presented her before senior police officials.

She returned home after an assurance to do reinvestigation in two cases of criminal intimidation and attack in which the principal was given clean chit. The woman worked in the same school and was removed later.

Additional superintendent of police (ASP), West, Vikas Chandra Tripathi said the woman had lodged an FIR under IPC section 354 for sexual harassment against principal of Model House branch of Saraswati Shishu Mandir School, Vinod Awasthi at Qaiserbagh police station in July 2016.

He said the principal was arrested then and charge sheet was filed against him.

Tripathi said the principal is out on bail in the sexual harassment case but the woman lodged two more FIRs of criminal intimidation and attack in Qaiserbagh and Talkatora thereafter.

He said the principal’s role was not found in the two cases following which final report was filed in the case.

He said the woman objected to the final report following which reinvestigation was ordered and the investigation is now being done by Mahila Thana.

WOMAN ACCUSED THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT