Governor orders police action in caste-based harassment case against school principal, teacher

Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria has ordered the police to take immediate necessary action and ensure that those found guilty are brought to justice, taking cognisance of the serious allegations of caste-based discrimination and mental harassment levelled by two teachers against a school principal and a colleague.

The matter pertains to a government model school in Sector 16, Chandigarh, where a female teacher working under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan had accused a male science teacher of using casteist language, issuing threats of dismissal, and mentally harassing her. She also alleged that the school’s principal failed to take her complaint seriously, prompting her to submit a written representation to UT Education Secretary Prerna Puri.

The Education Department subsequently formed an inquiry committee to investigate the charges against both the teacher and the principal. However, the male teacher, who was appointed as the in-charge of the school’s primary wing in November 2024, denied all allegations, calling them “baseless and motivated”.

Director of School Education HPS Brar confirmed that the department is already conducting an internal probe and that a detailed report will be submitted shortly. The Governor’s intervention now places the matter under direct police scrutiny, adding urgency to the ongoing departmental proceedings. Officials said that appropriate disciplinary and legal action will follow based on the findings of both the departmental and police investigations.