Jammu: The Central Administrative Tribunal (Jammu Bench) has taken serious note of a petition filed by a school teacher (name withheld) alleging sexual harassment by Principal Dev Raj Bhagat at Govt Higher Secondary School, Batote (Ramban).
The teacher claims that her refusal to comply with unwarranted advances led to her unlawful detachment from the school.
According to the petitioner, the Principal had been making inappropriate advances since his appointment in August 2022, sending late-night selfies and irrelevant messages, which she promptly deleted. She further alleges that the Principal tried to coerce her into skipping classes, damaged her reputation, and falsely accused her through forged communications.
Advocate Supriya Chouhan, representing the petitioner, strongly condemned the Principal’s actions, stating that he had tarnished the school’s reputation and violated his position of authority. Chouhan also highlighted the threat to the teacher’s life at her native place due to a land dispute with her relatives.
In response to the serious nature of the allegations and potential manipulation of internal committee proceedings, the CAT directed a Sub-Divisional Magistrate to conduct an impartial enquiry and submit a report within 15 days. Additionally, the Chief Education Officer, Ramban, was instructed to obtain a fresh security threat report regarding the petitioner and determine her place of posting accordingly. Until the report is received, eligible leave is to be granted to the petitioner.
The Bench also ordered the respondents to explain the reasons behind the teacher’s detachment without considering the latest security threat report. The Directorate of School Education, Jammu, is to be notified of the threat assessment report once obtained.
Additional Advocate General Sudesh Magotra and AAG Rajesh Thapa accepted notices on behalf of the Education Department and were given time to respond before the next hearing.
The CAT’s decision marks a significant step towards addressing the allegations and ensuring a fair and thorough investigation into the matter.
