Headmaster held for sexually harassing girls at govt school in Haryana’s Sirsa

The village sarpanch Virender said that the accused had indulged in three such incidents during his previous postings.

Sirsa police on Monday booked a 52-year-old acting headmaster of a government school in the district for allegedly sexually harassing girls of Class 10, said police on Monday.

A senior education officer from Sirsa said that they will write to senior officers in Panchkula seeking suspension of the accused teacher until a probe is completed by the police. (iStock)

A spokesman of Sirsa police said that nine minor girl students of the government school alleged that the acting headmaster was using vulgar words in the classroom and was allegedly touching the girls inappropriately for the past two months.

“The accused teacher was booked under Sections 74 (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 75 (sexual harassment) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita; Sections 10 (aggravated sexual assault), 12 (sexual harassment) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and relevant sections of the SC/ST act. The accused teacher was handed over to the police by the villagers,” the spokesman added.

A student said that they had gone in the accused teacher’s car to attend a government programme on November 8 and he played vulgar songs. “When we asked him to stop playing such songs he threatened us to stay silent. He confessed about having done such acts during his past postings too,” the girl added.

The village sarpanch said that the accused had indulged in three such incidents during his previous postings and that the police should take strict action against him. Police said they are probing the allegations. “If this teacher is not terminated from his service, then we will launch an agitation against the education and police departments,” the sarpanch added.

When the students informed the villagers about the alleged incident, the locals gathered in large numbers and reached the school. Later, they caught the accused head teacher and handed him over to the police.

A senior education officer from Sirsa said that they will write to senior officers in Panchkula seeking suspension of the accused teacher until a probe is completed by the police.

Last year, the Haryana government terminated a government school principal in Jind after 142 girl students accused him of sexually harassing them.