The principal of a private residential English-medium school in Odisha was arrested for making lewd gestures and molesting at least four of the 11 girl students who lived in the hostel, police said yesterday.
The principal of the residential school at Gariabahal village in the district of Sambalpur, about 350-km from state capital Bhubaneswar, was arrested on Thursday night after one of the girl’s parents lodged a complaint, said Biswamitra Haripal, a police officer.
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The 14-year-old victim told police that the 45-year-old principal would often drop into the hostel and make indecent gestures. He was also molesting girls at the residential school. Some of the girls had brought this matter to the notice of the school management, but no action was taken. The molestations were going on for over a year, the victim complained.
She said that over the past month, the principal had begun to act with impunity, and his visits to the girls’ hostel became more and more frequent. The girl said she told her parents of the harassment, and the police officer said the arrest was made on the basis of her parents' complaint.
The girl alleged that four of the 11 girls staying in the hostel were molested a number of times by the principal in recent months. While all the girls have since left the hostel, some of them have informed authorities that they will shift to another school. Police are trying to meet all the girl students for investigations, the police officer said.
Indecent gestures
The 14-year-old victim told police that the 45-year-old principal would often drop into the hostel and make indecent gestures. He was also molesting girls at the residential school. Some of the girls had brought this matter to the notice of the school management, but no action was taken.
4
The number of girls that were allegedly molested by the school principalu00a0
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