Jaipur:
Despite a police chargesheet against the Principal of Jaipur's Army Public School in a sexual harassment case, no action has been taken against him. The school authorities have, instead, sacked the victim, a teacher who complained against him.
An inquiry by the Army authorities claimed to have found nothing against the Principal, Rajiv Kumar Singh, following which the school terminated the services of the teacher, Mangla Bhatt, on the grounds of indiscipline and poor skills in English.
The matter has now been taken up by the Rajasthan State Women's Commission which has summoned Army and school authorities.
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The teacher alleges that she was being sexually harassed by the Principal since he joined the school in 2010. Things came to a head on November 16 last year when he had a heated argument with her, following which he allegedly sexually assaulted her.
"He would come into the art room and tap me from the back and say 'come out I want to talk to you. You are looking very sweet.' Come out with me, I will make you permanent," alleges Ms Bhatt.
The Army authorities had instituted two inquiries into the case after she complained. After the Principal was given a clean chit by the Army authorities, Ms Bhatt lodged a police complaint. The principal is out on bail after being chargesheeted by the police.
Four teachers and six peons, who stood up for Ms Bhatt and demanded Mr Singh's removal, say that they are being intimidated by the school authorities to take back their case. Three of the teachers have lost their jobs and four peons are not being allowed to enter the school.
The Army maintains that the witnesses and the teacher were "hell-bent upon prevailing over the truth" and they were trying to malign the school administration.
Human rights groups which have now taken up the case maintain that the internal inquiries by the Army authorities were in violation of the Supreme Court's Vishaska guidelines as no woman headed the enquiry; only one woman member was present and a NGO representative was not co-opted either.
"In every enquiry, Rajeev Singh would be present. If the harasser himself is present, how will people speak out," said Kavita Srivastava from the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).
The Army school is run by a management committee consisting of senior Army officers, but when NDTV tried to contact school Chairman Brigadier SD Mehta, he refused to comment.