Over 50 students of Jind school have alleged sexual harassment by principal: Haryana women panel
Chandigarh, Nov 3: Over 50 female students of a government school in Jind district have accused their principal of sexual harassment, the Haryana State Commission for Women said on Friday as it pulled up the police for their lackadaisical approach to the complaints.
The commission said they had forwarded the complaints from a few female students of the school to the police on September 14 but action was taken only on October 30.
The Haryana police had on Monday booked the school principal, days after he was suspended by the Jind administration over allegations of sexual harassment of a few students.
The Jind police have formed teams to nab the accused, a police official from the district said on Friday, stating that the principal, who is aged around 55 years, is evading arrest.
Speaking to reporters in Panchkula, the State Commission for Women's chairperson Renu Bhatia said, "We have received 60 written complaints against the principal from the girl students. Out of this, 50 are complaints from girls who stated physical abuse at the hands of the accused. Ten other girls, in their complaint, said they knew the principal was into such things."
Bhatia added that all the complainants were minor.
The victims alleged that the accused used to call them to his office and "indulge in obscene acts", she said.
"Initially, we received a complaint on September 13 from some female students and forwarded it to the police the very next day. From September 14 to October 29, there was no action on their end," Bhatia said, pointing at the "lackadaisical approach" of the Jind police in the matter.
"The girls later contacted us again. We spoke to the Superintendent of Police after which an FIR was registered," she added.
Bhatia also asked why the accused was not arrested immediately once the FIR was registered, which gave him time to abscond.
A woman District Education Officer's alleged lapse is also being investigated by the commission to find out why she did not act when she received the complaints, Bhatia said.
A female teacher's role who allegedly supported the principal is also being investigated, she added.
She said some girls contacted the commission on Thursday evening alleging that they received phone calls from unknown persons who pressurised them to recall their statement.
The commission's chairman urged the Haryana DGP and the Jind Superintendent of Police to ensure that the accused is arrested immediately. "Such persons deserve to be sent behind bars immediately," she said.
Bhatia said the commission had proof that the principal used to call some of the girls on their phones and tried to chat with them, adding that he had kept at least three mobile phones which were not known to his family or anyone else.
The accused had allegedly installed a tinted door at his office in the school, the police had said.
The principal did not have a good record in other schools too where he was posted, Bhatia said, adding that there were complaints of misbehaviour with female students against him at two other schools, she said.
The police in Jind district on Monday registered a case against the principal under Sections 354-A (sexual harassment), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, SHO of the police station under whose jurisdiction the school falls had said.
Officials in the Jind district administration had earlier said the school principal was suspended by the Haryana government on October 27.
A group of female students of the school had also reportedly recently shot off letters to the Prime Minister's Office and National Commission for Women detailing their ordeal, sources said.
About the nature of allegations made by the female students, Jind Deputy Commissioner Mohd Imran Raza had on Sunday said they have alleged that the principal used to "indulge in obscene acts" with them.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
