Patna: Allegations by girl students of a govt school in Nawada that their principal entered their washroom and touched them inappropriately have raised questions over the safety of minors in educational institutions. The allegations came a day after the case of a Class X student being allegedly molested on a road in Jamui came to light.In a video shared on social media by Congress’s Pawan Khera, the girls are seen crying and alleging the headmaster entered their washroom, picked them up and made them sit on his lap. The students, accompanied by their parents, protested on the school campus on Sept 18. The headmaster was arrested under the Pocso Act. The matter came to light on Tuesday after video clips went viral.According to an official statement issued by the Nawada district administration, principal Mahesh Prasad Yadav was suspended by the district education officer. An FIR was registered against him under the Pocso Act and he was sent to judicial custody at Mandal Jail, Nawada.“Yadav has been suspended with effect from Sept 18, the date of his detention in jail. The action has been taken under Rule 9 of the Bihar Government Servants (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 2005, as amended from time to time. The suspension will remain in force as per the applicable service rules, pending further proceedings in the matter,” read the DEO’s order.The Jamui incident involved a Class X student who was allegedly sexually harassed on the road by a group of men. Her friend was also physically assaulted. A video of the incident circulated on social media.The cases have brought renewed focus on the safety of girls in schools and public spaces.Congress’s Pawan Khera said the incidents reflected an “utterly unacceptable standard of safety and dignity for women and girls”.“The BJP in Bihar must paint its face black,” he wrote on X, referring to the two incidents.BJP Bihar spokesperson and MLA Manoj Sharma said police acted swiftly after the incidents. He said the primary accused in the Jamui case was shot in the leg while allegedly trying to escape custody and confirmed the accused in the Nawada case was in jail.
