Will not spare Principal if found guilty: Police-State Women Commission

“He was harassing me since last 2 years”: Complains victim teacher

Jammu, May 30: At a time when Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti are strictly implementing action under law against those found harassing women workplace, in a shocking revelation a married teacher lodged a written complained against her own married and agedprincipal that he was sexually harassing her since last two years.
“I am victim of sexual harassment since last two years, but now I will not spare her, so finally lodging written complaint,” the victim teacher of Maharaja Harisingh Agri Collegiate School told police that the Principal of the school Alok Betab harassed her sexually many times during working hours inside the school premises.
This incident came to light less than a month after a Station House Officer (SHO) was booked for raping a victim inside police station premises.
Sources said that making mockery of the strict laws and elite education system and security of women at such divine institutions, Principal ofMHAC Nagbani, Alok Betab, has been booked for making attempts of outraging the modesty of a female PRT teacher.
According to reports, a married PRT teacher at Nagbani School filed a written complaint of sexual harassment against the school Principalwith Domana Police Station following which police registered an FIR against the accused. The police have registered an FIR number 158/2016 under section 509, 506 of the RPC. The victim claimed that she had previously lodged a complaint in the regard with the women’s commission also.
SHO police station Domana, Inspector Rajeshwar Singh confirmed that a complaint has been received and FIR has been registered and investigation is started.
Whereas, sources said that it was not the first incident of harassment of the same teacher by the same principal but a similar complaint was also filed earlier, which was settled down later with a warning to Betab.
TNN tried to go deep in the matter and also attempted to get version of the victim and accused in this case. However, when contacted, the victim on her mobile phone, she was not available for comments and one of her close relative said that she has submitted the complaint and law will take its own course.
While, when contacted, the accused Principal, Alok Betab, his wife, Meenu Betab said that wrong allegations have been leveled on her husband and he is not a culprit of all this.
Meenu Betab, who is also a senior academic functionary in MHAC said the allegations as false and frivolous and added that the complainant has filled the complaint in order to harm the image of the principal.
While visiting a post on Facebook on a page of MHAC which stated, “Dear All..... As you all know that our school MHAC School Nagbani is progressing day by day and achieving new heights under the guidance of our Respectable principal Mr Alok Betab. But there are some anti school elements in the school itself. As far as today’s news is concerned. It is all fake and wrong. One of our unfortunate colleague Mrs. XYZ (Name withheld by TNN) is after our principal from such a long time. When our principal strictly refused to accept her illegal demands, She started bothering him in one way or the other.. All the staff members are very much upset about this. She always bothers everyone of us.. But now she has crossed the limits by blaming our gentle principal.. Its time now to stand up and revolt againt such dirty persons of the society. We just want to throw (name of the teacher) out of the school because she is spoiling the reputation of the school and future of the students...... Lets come all and throw her out.”
Though, the principal and some other staff members has uploaded such text on the social media, but while talking to a female staff member of Nagbani School, she told on the conditions of anonymity that the behavior of the principal is not good with the many female staff members and the particular teacher was frustrated due to her harassment. “She was tensed due to behavior of principal and not able to disclose to anyone as her husband is also not here and posted outside,” added the staff member.
SSP Jammu, Dr Sunil Gupta, when contacted, said that the investigations are going on in the case and if the Principal found guilty, he will not be spared. Giving the reference of the past action against the SHO, he added that the even department dealt with its own official harshly after being accused of the similar offence, there is no deal to take the matter lightly.
Meanwhile, State Women Commission (SWC), Nayeema Ahmed Mahjoor told TNN, “I have not aware about the entire matter, but will get the details from our members in Jammu and will take seriously if such things happened in a temple of education. She assured that the department will deal the accused strictly as if the allegations against the erring principal were incorrigible and we want law to take its own course.
“CM Mehbooba Mufti is already passing instructions to not spare anybody found harassing women at work place, so we will not spare if the person found guilty,” concluded Nayeema.