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Former Ranchi school principal gets 3 yrs in jail for sexual harassment
A former school principal, Manoj Kumar Sinha, was sentenced to three years in prison for molestation and sexual harassment, with a ₹10,000 fine.
A local court here on Friday sentenced Manoj Kumar Sinha, former principal of a prestigious school in the state capital, to three years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹10,000 in a high-profile case of molestation and sexual harassment.
The court of additional judicial commissioner Arvind Kumar (No. 2) pronounced the quantum of punishment on Friday, a day after convicting the former educationist.
“Yes,” confirmed victim’s advocate Khusboo Kataruka, acknowledging the order but expressing her inability to share further specific details of the judgment.
The case traces back to May 2022, when an FIR was registered against Sinha at Argora police station.
According to the complaint, the victim alleged Sinha routinely summoned her to his office for blood pressure check. Once inside, Sinha allegedly engaged in obscene acts and repeatedly pressured her to establish physical relations.
Following the registration of the case, Sinha went into hiding to evade arrest. High drama ensued as a special police team eventually tracked him down to the Telco police station area in Jamshedpur, where police apprehended him and remanded him to judicial custody.
Sinha’s legal battles intensified when Jharkhand HC cancelled the bail previously granted to him. He moved the Supreme Court seeking relief, but the apex court dismissed his plea, directing him to surrender immediately before the trial court. The accused has remained in judicial custody ever since, facing trial from behind bars.
A lower court advocate tracking the case said Sinha retained the right to challenge the lower court’s verdict.
“Since the sentence is limited to three years, the convict is expected to file an appeal directly from jail, either before the sessions court or the high court.
“Sinha’s legal counsel will likely file simultaneous petitions seeking a suspension of the sentence and the grant of bail. If the appellate court admits the appeal and grants interim relief, the former principal could be released from jail while the final adjudication of his appeal remains pending,” the advocate said.
