Lucknow: Seventeen girls, students of Class 10 from Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district have accused that they were drugged and molested by their school principal and his associate. The girls were asked to stay the night in school to prepare for ‘practical exams’, which were to be held in another school in the same area, the next day.
Uttar Pradesh police said that the incident took place on November 18. ‘Principal Yogesh got the 16-17 girls to come over on the pretext of practical exams…The girls were made to write a copy, thereafter they were asked to stay the night. They were told there will be more practical exams on the next day. The girls then made khichdi, which the principal said was undercooked. He then made it himself and fed the girls. The girls lost consciousness after eating khichdi. And then they were molested’, a complainant said. Parents alleged that their complaint was filed only after the local MLA Pramod Utwal intervened.
Police officials said that an FIR has been filed in the matter and five teams have been formed to arrest the accused. ‘We have suspended the station house officer of the police station for negligence on duty. An FIR has been filed and the accused charged under section 328 (outraging the modesty of a woman), 358 (causing hurt by poison), 506 (criminal intimidation) and relevant sections of the POCSO Act’, said Muzaffarnagar police chief Abhishek Yadav.
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‘The issue is one of practicals. The children were given sedatives. There are 29 students in the class, but only girls were called’, said another complainant, adding that strict action should be taken against the school for running illegal classes as it lacked permission. When asked if the board had announced dates for practical exams, one of the girls said they were not aware of it, but were made to write a copy. The girls also alleged that pressure was was being put on them not to speak about the incident.
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