Muzaffarnagar molestation: School manager arrested

On Monday, the police said that the uncle of one of the girls had filed an FIR alleging that 17 girls were taken to a neighbouring town by their school manager on November 18 on the pretext of “practical exams”. The FIR alleged that they stayed the night there and that their school manager and the manager of the school where they had gone drugged and molested them.

It also alleged that the accused threatened to kill them and their families if they informed anyone.

The charges against the arrested school manager are of poisoning with the intent to commit an offence, sexual assault, criminal intimidation and under provisions of the POCSO Act.

“We have recorded statements of two victims in connection with allegations of molestation. One accused has been arrested and several teams, including the SOG, are making efforts to arrest the other accused. Strict action will be taken in the matter,” said Circle Officer Krishan Kumar.

Police sources said that when the other 15 girls were contacted, they denied knowledge of the incident. Things will become clearer once the arrested accused is questioned and the other accused is picked up, the police said.

The arrested accused runs an elementary school close to the Uttarakhand border. The girls, who are in Class X, said they are not currently enrolled in the school but attend it regularly for “coaching”.

The matter had come to light when the complainant first approached BJP MLA from Purkaji, Pramod Utwal. SSP Abhishek Yadav said that the in-charge of the station where the complaint was first filed has been transferred to police lines and a departmental inquiry had been initiated against him for alleged negligence of duty.