SDM arrested in Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua for sexually harassing tribal girls

Police said a complaint was filed on Tuesday accusing SDM Sunil Kumar Jha of obscene acts with three tribal girls at a hostel in Jhabua on Sunday

Updated on: Jul 11, 2023, 16:33:59 IST

By Shruti Tomar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) was arrested in Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua on Tuesday for allegedly sexually harassing girls during a “surprise inspection” of a hostel for tribals, police said.

Sunil Kumar Jha, the accused, has been suspended. (Getty Images)

Varsha Solanki, a local police officer, said that the hostel superintendent filed a complaint on Tuesday accusing SDM Sunil Kumar Jha, who has been suspended, of obscene acts with three tribal girls on Sunday.

“Two girls aged 13 years and another 11-year-old said Jha came to their room for a second time and touched them inappropriately and also asked obscene questions. When the superintendent was informed about the bad touch, she immediately informed the senior officers,” said Solanki.

Jha, who has been booked under Prevention of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO), was produced before a court and sent to jail.

Divisional commissioner Pawan Sharma has also ordered a departmental inquiry into the matter.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

Home/Cities/Bhopal News/SDM Arrested In Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua For Sexually Harassing Tribal Girls