School principal sacked over harassment of 142 girls in Haryana's Jind

The action to dismiss Singh from service was initiated taking into account grave allegations of misconduct, a government spokesperson said

After facing charges of sexually harassing students, Kartar Singh, principal of the Government Senior Secondary School for Girls in Jind district, was dismissed from service by the Haryana government on Tuesday.

Police had arrested accused Kartar Singh on November 4; he is presently in Jind jail on judicial remand (Representative photo)

Acting on an inquiry report of a committee headed by Uchana subdivisional magistrate Gulzar Malik, which found the principal prima facie guilty of sexual harassment, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar ordered the dismissal of 56-year-old Singh from government service.

His dismissal orders are being issued under Article 311 (2)(b) of the Constitution, which empowers the competent authority to dismiss, remove or reduce in rank persons employed in civil capacities under the Union or state government without conducting a departmental inquiry.

The inquiry panel interacted with 390 students. As many as 142 girl students testified against Singh in front of the committee headed by the Uchana magistrate, said Jind deputy commissioner Mohammad Imran Raza.

“The committee, which conducted a preliminary inquiry, found Kartar Singh prima facie guilty. The committee interacted with 390 girl students of Classes 9, 10, 11 and 12. Of them, 142 students have directly or indirectly confirmed sexual harassment,” Raza said on November 23.

The action to dismiss Singh from service was initiated taking into account grave allegations of misconduct, a government spokesperson said on Tuesday. The spokesperson said that a woman principal and 16 new staff members have been appointed at the girls school.

Jind police had registered a case against him on October 30 under Section 8 (sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and Section 354 (molestation) of the Indian Penal Code, after which he was placed under suspension by the state government.

Police had arrested him on November 4; he is presently in Jind jail on judicial remand.

A letter by 15 students led to the inquiry. On August 31, 15 girl students wrote a five-page letter addressed to the most powerful offices in the country -- President of India, Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India, Haryana governor, and the state education minister.

Last week, Khattar said the government had zero tolerance for such incidents. “The accused, whosoever he may be, would not be spared,” he had said, adding that a woman principal has been posted at the Jind school and 16 other staff members have been transferred.

Renu Bhatia, the chairperson of the Haryana state women commission, has been asked to organise seminars with the police to prevent such incidents in the future.