Sexual abuse in Jind school: 40 days after FIR, cops submit chargesheet against principal

Tribune News Service

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, December 13

Over 40 days after the registration of an FIR, the Jind police today filed a chargesheet in a local court against the former principal of a government senior secondary school in the district on the charges of sexual harassment of minor girl students.

Addressing a press conference, special investigation team (SIT) incharge Deepti Garg said they had completed the probe and submitted the chargesheet in a local court in connection with the FIR number 310 against the accused principal.

Key questions

• What were the circumstances that drove so many girl students not to depose before the magistrate?
• Only six girl students did so out of 142 girls who had complained of facing or being witnesses to sexual harassment by the accused
• Who wrote the complaint letter that carried several signatures besides mentioning fictitious names of victims

The accused faces charges under Sections 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of an offence), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 354-A (sexual harassment), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC, Sections 8 (sexual assault) and 10 (aggravated sexual assault) of the POCSO Act and various sections of the SC/ST Act.

Sources said the police had recorded the statements of about 400 girls and those statements were now part of the chargesheet. “Analysis of the CCTV footage besides social media account and mobile phone of the accused is being undertaken. The police will submit a supplementary chargesheet on the basis of the outcome of the analysis of the electronic devices and social media accounts in due course,” said a police official.

The SIT incharge, however, said that they investigated the matter of suicide by a girl student and allegations of rape against the principal. “But we have found no substance in those allegations till now. In case new facts emerge during the investigation and any new complaint comes to the police, we can submit a supplementary chargsheet later on,” she said.

Garg said the chargesheet had been prepared on the basis of the statements of six victims who had deposed before the magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC. “All girl students of the school have been examined. The police also examined the staff of the school and recorded their statements,” she said.

Regarding the role of a woman teacher, the SIT incharge said, “As per the facts of the case till now, the police cannot arrest her. If new facts emerge during the investigation, further action will be taken. The dropout girls have also been approached by the police. The statements of dropout students and their parents have also been taken into account.” She denied any delay on part of the police in registering the FIR.

The principal was booked on October 30 after preliminary inquiry found him guilty of sexual harassment of several girl students in the school. The police arrested him on November 4.

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