Madhya Pradesh SDM held for sexually harassing tribal girls

A sub-divisional magistrate of Jhabua district in Madhya Pradesh was arrested for allegedly sexually harassing three minor tribal girls at a government-run hostel earlier this week, police said.

Updated on: Jul 12, 2023, 24:31:17 IST

By Shruti Tomar, BHOPAL

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A sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Jhabua district in Madhya Pradesh was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly sexually harassing three minor tribal girls at a government-run hostel earlier this week, police said.

The deputy collector rank officer was also suspended under the state government’s Civil Services (Services Conduct) Rules, 1965, for carelessness and gross negligence in performing his duty, according to district officials.

Jhabua Kotwali police station sub inspector Varsha Solanki said the alleged harassment took place on Sunday when SDM Sunil Kumar Jha was visiting the hostel in the district headquarters for a surprise inspection.

“In her complaint with Kotwali police, the hospital superintendent said the officer visited the children’s rooms and left after some time. After a while, he returned and sat in their room. He touched three tribal girls two aged 13 and one 11 years of age – inappropriately and asked them obscene questions,” Solanki said.

“Jha was arrested and a probe is underway,” Solanki added.

Police said on the basis of the complaint, an FIR was registered under section 354 (sexual harassment) of Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.

The accused was produced before the Pocso court of special judge RK Sharma who remanded him in judicial custody. His bail plea will be heard on Wednesday, police said.

“The girls are traumatised after the incident,” the hostel superintendent said.

On the basis of a report submitted by Jhabua district collector Tanvi Hudda, Indore divisional commissioner Pawan Kumar Sharma suspended Jha under MP government’s Civil Services (Service Conduct) Rules 1965, citing carelessness and gross negligence in performing official duties, according to news agency PTI.

After his arrest, Jha was produced before the Pocso court of special judge RK Sharma who remanded the accused in judicial custody, police said, adding that the official’s bail plea will be heard on Wednesday.

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

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