Principal assaulted after parents accuse Pune school of putting up CCTV camera in girls' washroom

PUNE: The principal of a private school in Pune district was allegedly assaulted by members of a right-wing outfit after some parents claimed that CCTV camera was installed in the girls' washroom. A video of the incident, which took place on Tuesday afternoon, went viral on social media on Thursday. The clip showed the principal, with torn clothes, being chased by a mob on the school premises in the Talegaon Dabhade area.

While the education department started an inquiry, no First Information Report (FIR) had been registered as of Thursday evening. A parent in her complaint to police alleged that the school installed a CCTV camera in the washroom for girl students, conducted "prayers from the Bible" and did not declare holiday on Hindu festivals, Talegaon MIDC police inspector Ranjit Sawant said.

"We are looking into the allegations levelled by the parents and an investigation is going on," he said. Following the allegations, members of a right-wing outfit allegedly manhandled the principal, identified as Alexander, police said. Speaking to PTI, Dipti Kharmale, a parent, said there were several complaints regarding the school staff such as pressurizing students and `asking students to move benches from one place to another.' "Whenever we raised the issue, the principal avoided us.

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Recently, when some of the parents including me went to school to raise some issues, we found a CCTV camera in the girls' washroom," she alleged. Kharmale, in her complaint submitted to the Talegaon MIDC police station on Tuesday, also alleged that besides installing CCTV camera in girls' washroom, a prayer from the Bible used to get conducted in the school, and students were not allowed to celebrate Hindu festivals.

If any parent raised these issues, the principal and other teachers harassed the student, she claimed. If the school wanted to conduct prayers, it should conduct prayers from all religions, she said. Meanwhile, officials from the state education department visited the school to look into the allegations.

"It has been found that CCTV camera was installed in a girls' washroom, but when I visited the school today, it was found to have been removed. The staff at the school acknowledged that the camera was installed," said S R Walunj, Block Education Officer. He said the management claims that they do not have any idea as to who allowed a camera to be installed there.

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"I have conducted an inquiry into all the allegations and a report will be sent to the education officer and Commissioner (education ) and the next course of action will be decided. The education officer has also visited the school," he said. Walunj said the school management informed that the principal left the school after the assault. When contacted, the school authorities refused to comment on the incident. Commissioner (Education) Suraj Mandhare said late in the evening that the parents had already expressed annoyance about the principal's conduct, hence the deputy director (education) will conduct an inquiry and suitable action will be taken under the relevant laws.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor termed the incident of assault on the school principal as "disgraceful". "No decent Hindu behaves like this," he tweeted, naming the right-wing organisation alleged to be involved in the assault.