The Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority (JHALSA) has taken suo motu cognisance of the alleged mistreatment of female students by their school principal in the Dhanbad district of Jharkhand.
It has directed the district legal services authority (DLSA) to investigate the matter. The DLSA has also offered free legal aid and compensation to the ‘victim’ students.
The principal of Carmel School, Digwadih, in Dhanbad district, has been accused of instructing 80 Class 10 girls to remove their shirts and forcing them to go home in blazers without shirts after they celebrated Pen Day on the last day of school.
JHALSA officials stated that a joint team, comprising members of the DLSA and the district administration, conducted an investigation into the incident on Monday. The team recorded statements from the school principal, a teacher, and the students' guardians.
“If the allegations are verified, the female students will qualify as victims of molestation and will be entitled to compensation under existing legal provisions,” said an official.
Officials also confirmed that statements had been collected from Class 10 and 11 students, the school principal, and parents. Additionally, technical experts reviewed the CCTV footage related to the incident.
“The investigation report will be submitted to JHALSA soon, and further steps will be taken based on their directives,” said an official.
In addition to the DLSA and district administration, the district’s Child Welfare Committee will also investigate the matter at the initiative of MLA Ragini Singh.
In response to JHALSA’s directive, Principal District and Sessions Judge and Dhanbad DLSA Chairman, Virendra Kumar Tiwari, constituted a nine-member committee led by Kumar Vimlendu, head of the Legal and Defence Council System (LDCS).
Furthermore, the Jharkhand Abhibhavak Mahasangh (JAM) lodged a complaint with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), accusing the principal of a "shameful act" and demanding action under the POCSO Act.
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