Sexual abuse at Jind school: Ailing SIT incharge might be replaced

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, November 23

Since the Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by ASP (Sirsa incharge) Deepti Garg has been suffering from fever, the probe into the incident of sexual harassment of several girl students by the principal of a school in Jind district has slowed down.

Schools to have complaint boxes

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The district administration has issued directions to install complaint boxes in all schools, both government and private. The keys would be in the custody of the SDM concerned and the boxes would be opened every 15 days to collect complaints

As per information, the SIT was constituted by ADGP (Hisar range) Shrikant Jadhav on November 16. The SIT, which comprises six members, including DSPs Geetika Jakhar and Amit Bhatia, SHO of the Jind Women Police Station, and two women SIs, is headed by Deepti Garg. It was asked to conclude the investigation within 10 days.

However, sources said the SIT incharge was taken ill and could not visit the field to carry out an investigation. “The documents related to the FIR registered against the principal were examined by the SIT. The team also visited the town and started the investigation, but the probe slowed down due to the ailment of the SIT incharge,” a senior official revealed, adding that they were thinking of replacing the SIT chief.

The issue took a sensitive turn after the Haryana State Commission for Women, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and Haryana SCPCR took cognisance of the incident. Amid mounting pressure from these bodies, the police had to constitute the SIT, said an official.

After yesterday’s revelation that 142 girl students had reported the incidents of sexual harassment to the three-member team of the district administration, CM Manohar Lal Khattar also issued a statement in Chandigarh that those involved in the heinous acts against the students would not be spared.

The incident also served as a wake-up call for the administration as directions were issued to install complaint boxes in all schools, both government and private, in the district. The keys would be in the custody of the SDM concerned and the boxes would be opened every 15 days to collect complaints.

Education Department officials admitted that there were many schools which did not have complaint boxes.