Rajasthan govt sacks college principal in sexual harassment case

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government has dismissed the principal of a government college over allegations of sexual harassment, officials said on Wednesday. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma has taken action in around 40 serious cases related to departmental inquiries, including granting prosecution sanctions and approving action under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, officials said.

In the case involving sexual harassment of female students at a Government Women's Polytechnic College, the chief minister approved the principal's dismissal. Approval was also given to remove a lecturer and a librarian accused of assisting the principal in the matter, according to an official statement.

The chief minister also granted prosecution sanction in six serious cases involving alleged misuse of official position and influence to obtain illegal benefits in corruption and other criminal cases.

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Govt withheld full pension in five cases

Action has been approved against a senior professor of Sawai Man Singh Hospital, a joint director in the Animal Husbandry Department, a superintending engineer in the Public Health Engineering Department, a financial adviser, an assistant engineer and a development officer under the Prevention of Corruption Act, as amended in 2018, and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, officials said.

In other cases involving retired officials, the government approved withholding pensions of 10 officials for alleged indiscipline, misconduct and involvement in corruption during their service.

Full pension was withheld in five of these cases, the statement said. The government also approved detailed investigations in five cases under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act and allowed the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to conduct further investigations.

In six cases under Rule 16 of the Rajasthan Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1958, various officials were penalised by withholding their due increments with cumulative effect, it said.