The FIR was filed last week at Azad Maidan police station.Dr Urmila Paralikar, the principal of the Government of Maharashtra Secondary Training College at Fort in Mumbai was removed from her post on Friday after she was booked under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for allegedly making caste-based remarks against a student.
The state higher and technical education department issued the order, which also said that an inquiry committee will be set up to probe the incident.
The FIR was filed last week at Azad Maidan police station. In her statement, complainant Sumitra Mangat, who hails from Khandipada, a village in Talasari taluka of Palghar, had said: “Paralikar madam asked me about my native place and if I am an adivasi (tribal) after noticing my manner of speaking and writing. She had made similar caste-based remarks against other students in my class as well.”
The FIR was filed after Mangat approached students’ organisations for support. One of the organisations, COPS Students Organisation, had started a hunger strike on Thursday.
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Amar Ekad, president of COPS Students Organisation, had met the higher and technical education minister demanding action.
Ekad said he has been officially informed about Paralikar’s removal by Dr Joint Director (Higher and Technical Education) Prakash Bachchav.
The order issued by Bachchav stated, “The principal’s charge for the Maharashtra Secondary Training College, Fort, which was with Dr Urmila Paralikar from August 2022, is now handed over to S A Sonavane. Following the complaint against Dr Paralikar, the directorate has also initiated an inquiry in the matter. Future course of action will be decided based on the report of the inquiry.”