Lucknow: School manager arrested for molesting Class XII girl

LUCKNOW: A Class XII student of a private institution in Krishnanagar was allegedly molested by the school manager on Friday, prompting protests on the campus that led to the cradle being shut for the day and the accused arrested.
According to the complaint lodged by the 18-year-old girl, she was assaulted by Atul Verma in the principal’s office in the morning while the latter was not around. She said she went to the principal’s chamber to collect some documents. She found Verma in the office instead. The manager allegedly touched her inappropriately. She pushed him away, ran out of the chamber and went home, the complaint said.
Krishnanagar sub-inspector Pankaj Singh said as the news spread on the campus, other students and their parents staged a protest. Some allegedly broke windowpanes too. “The girl and her parents also took part in the protest. They forced the school to close for the day. Later, the girl lodged a complaint with police.”
Pradeep Kumar Singh, SHO of Krishnanagar, said the accused was arrested around 1.30pm from his residence. “He has been booked for molesting the student. We are also inquiring if he had violated other girls in the school.”
Verma, in his defence, is learnt to have told police that when the girl came to the principal’s office, he only tried to adjust her badge. The accused is married and has a 12-year-old daughter.