Teacher’s allegations of sexual harassment against Principal
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 2: In a significant order, the Central Administrative Tribunal (Jammu Bench) headed by A K Dubey, Member (A ) has taken a serious note of a petition/ application filed by a school teacher stating that she had been deployed /attached at Govt Higher Secondary School, Batote (Ramban) on security grounds but was relieved on the ground that she did not oblige the unwarranted sexual advances of the Principal.
The school teacher/ applicant before CAT submitted that ever since the joining of the Principal namely Dev Raj Bhagat in the Govt Hr. Sec School, Batote in August, 2022, he started making unwarranted advances towards the applicant on the pretext that she is unmarried and may require his company but her complete avoidance/ refusals frustrated the very motive of Principal in achieving his vicious design of gaining sexual favours from her.
When this matter came up for hearing, Advocate Supriya Chouhan appearing for the victim/applicant vehemently argued that the delinquent Principal is a blot and slur in a pious educational institution and has demeaned his position by seeking sexual favours from a hapless lady teacher. She further submitted that the Principal used to tell the lady teacher to skip the classes as skipping will not affect the future of children and when the applicant did not agree, the Principal started doing adverse things to her like removing her name from all the school activities, from the school WhatsApp groups, cropping her photographs from the pictures originally taken in the school functions and also started spreading words that applicant is loose-charactered woman.
The Jammu Bench of Central Administrative Tribunal headed by A K Dubey Member (A) took serious note of the submissions made by Advocate Supriya Chouhan and observed, “the allegations raised by the applicant are of serious nature. She has also alleged manipulation of Internal Committee’s proceedings. It appears that her allegations need to be looked into impartially”.
“Under these circumstances, this Tribunal directs the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of the area to enquire into the matter and submit report within 15 days. It is further directed that the reply to be filed by the respondents must specially explain the reasons of the applicant’s relieving without calling for the latest security threat report”, read the order issued by the CAT.
The Bench further directed that as an interim measure, the Chief Education Officer, Ramban shall obtain fresh security threat report with respect to the applicant and then decide place of posting accordingly.
Till the assessment report is received, he shall consider and allow eligible leave to the applicant. A copy of the threat assessment report should be also brought to the notice of the Director of School Education Jammu”, the Tribunal directed.
Additional Advocate General Sudesh Magotra and AAG Rajesh Thapa accepted notices on behalf of the Education Department and were granted time to file their responses before the next date of hearing.
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