JIND: In the case of sexual assault involving 60 minor girls by the school principal, Haryana police have added additional charges against the accused, according to officials.
The sexual harassment committee investigating the case found the school principal guilty, and although one victim refused to provide her statement under section 164 of the CrPC, five others recorded credible and compelling statements against the accused.
Furthermore, the police have added more sections to the charges against the principal. Initially booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act (8) and Section 354, the accused now faces additional charges under sections 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 342 (Punishment for wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation), and POCSO (10) (punishment for aggravated sexual assault).
Balwan Singh, the station house officer (SHO) at Uchana Kalan, stated that five minor victims appeared before the police, alleging inappropriate conduct by the school principal. While one girl stepped down for personal reasons, several others have approached higher authorities, and a police investigation is ongoing. Singh mentioned that three families, whose daughters were students at the school and have since died, were asked to join the investigation.
Women activists from Jind district expressed concern, asserting that the accused principal had allegedly engaged in physical relations with around 30 girls, and approximately 250 girls have reported molestation. They accused district officials of not thoroughly investigating the matter and putting pressure on the girls to withdraw their complaints.
Farmer leader Azad Palwa claimed that a prominent politician in Jind district is supporting the accused, and there are significant lapses in the investigation. Social activists, including NCP leader Sonia Doohan, emphasized the need for counseling for all girls in the school at a higher level, calling for moral and solid support for the victims. They expressed disappointment over the silence of the chief minister and deputy chief minister on this serious matter involving the exploitation of numerous minor girls.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
