Sexual harassment by principals: Many loose ends in Jind, Kaithal probe

Tribune News Service

Geetanjali Gayatri

Chandigarh, December 11

The Haryana Police investigations into alleged sexual harassment of girl students by two principals of government schools in Jind and Kaithal are progressing at a snail’s pace, leaving a string of unanswered questions and a number of loose ends.

‘Lax’ cops waiting for statements

Police waiting for “victims” to come forward to give statements rather than proceeding independently to probe charges of alleged rape levelled by social activist Sikkim Nain

In patriarchal Haryana where “family honour” rests on the shoulders of girls and family members do not hesitate to sacrifice them in the name of honour, the police are waiting for the “victims” to come forward to give their statements rather than proceeding independently to investigate the charges of alleged rape levelled by social activist Sikkim Nain.

“The role of the police in the Jind case has been questionable right from the time the women’s commission forwarded the complaint. How do the police explain the delay in the registration of the case since the complaint was made in mid-September and an FIR was registered only in the last week of October. The police also failed to immediately record the statements of Education Department officials. While the police arrested the principal, they failed to arrest anybody who was a part of his ‘network’,” says Nain.

The social activist, summoned by the police in the case, gave her statement and conveyed the unwillingness of one such victim to come forward and make a statement. For want of statements, the police have booked the Jind principal for aggravated sexual assault only. The minimum and maximum punishment is only five years and seven years, respectively, while social activists maintain that the crime is much graver than what meets the eye. “He will get away with little punishment if the police do not investigate the rape allegations,” she said.

The national vice-president of the All India Democratic Women’s Association, Jagmati Sangwan, said the police were yet to arrest a teacher named by girl students of the Jind school. “She was the principal’s informer and worked with him in close coordination. She should have been booked immediately. Instead of establishing the crime of the accused principal, the police seem to be aiding the accused by failing to investigate the allegations of rape. This will work to the advantage of the accused,” she said.

In the Kaithal case, where four girls came forward to complain against the principal, the contractor who used to frequent the principal and pass lewd comments at girl students, is yet to be arrested even as his role needs a thorough probe since he, too, has been accused of touching the girls inappropriately.

The police maintain that they cannot proceed in the absence of the victims and their statements. “The administration and the police can join hands to motivate the students to come forward and give their statements but cannot proceed without the same since the case will not be sustainable,” a senior officer said.

Meanwhile, Prof Khazan Singh Sangwan (retd), a former Head, Department of Sociology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, says it is unlikely that parents and students will come forward and complain. “The social set-up of Haryana, especially in rural areas, deters complainants from coming forward in cases of crime against women. The police have other ways to arrive at the truth,” he says.

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