Teacher booked days after three girls allege sexual harassment

An examiner has been booked on charges of sexually harassing three girl students during a practical exam in Nainwa town here, with the victims' parents alleging that the school attempted to cover up the matter.
According to police, the alleged incident occurred on February 4, when the accused Kunjbihari Anjana, external examiner from a government school in Jhalawar district, was supervising a geography viva at a government senior secondary school at Nainwa.
The girls informed parents about the incident but it was was brought to notice of school principal on February 6 only as he was on leave on February 5, they said.

On the basis of a complaint by school principal last evening, Anjana was booked under section 354 (A) of IPC and various sections of POCSO Act in Nainwa police station of the district, said Bhuvan Bhushan Yadav, Superintendent of Police (SP) Bundi.
Further action would be taken only after the statements of the victims are recorded under section 164, SP Yadav said.
"Kunjbihari Anjana allegedly behaved in a vulgar and immoral way with the three girl students of class 12 during viva of geography examination on February 4," said Kelash Chand Gupta, principal of the school, adding that the parents of the girls reported the matter to him on February 6.

"I had been busy with my official work", said Gupta, when asked about delay in reporting the matter to police.

The parents of girls alleged that the school administration first tried to cover up the incident and only after they mounted pressure that the matter was reported to police.
District Education Officer (Secondary set up), Paras Chand Jain said he was informed about the incident only yesterday and added that departmental inquiry would soon be initiated against the accused external examiner.
"Action against the school principal would also be taken for alleged delay in reporting the matter to his senior officials and to the police", DEO Jain said.