52-year-old woman, who has levelled the charges, works as a supervisor in the college and reported to the accused
THE VICE-PRINCIPAL of a popular South Mumbai college has been booked for allegedly sexually harassing a 52-year-old woman colleague. Police said the woman, who works as a supervisor and reported to the vice principal, has alleged that the accused would touch her inappropriately in office, tried to make physical contact and also passed objectionable comments.
According to the police, the case was registered on Monday under sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354 (A) (Sexual harassment), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code after the woman lodged a complaint against the vice principal.
The police said the woman has also submitted a written complaint to the college authorities.
In her statement to the police, the woman said that she has been employed with the college for the past several years and is currently working as a college supervisor. “Since the supervisor and vice principal share an office, the complainant has been working with him in the same room since August 2021,” read the statement.
Initially, there was no problem but the vice principal’s behaviour changed after some days, the complainant said in her statement to the police. “He started leering and would often make an attempt to be close to her and talk,” she alleged.
The vice principal also started calling and complementing her which made her uncomfortable, the police said. On March 4, 2022, the vice principal called her and said, “You were looking nice in a saree today. I am here in the mall, I called you because I am alone,” she said in her complaint.
Later the same month, the complainant alleged that the vice principal went up to her and said, “I want to give you a party on your birthday, shall we both go to a hotel.”
On another instance on October 17, 2022, the vice principal again asked her out by saying “if you say yes, then we could go out and party together”. “As I was very angry, he got scared and left,” the complaint read.
The 52-year-old supervisor also alleged that the vice principal would call her to office during vacations under the pretext of some work.
On November 7, 2022, while the two were working during college vacation, the vice principal allegedly sat next to her and started a conversation during which he touched her inappropriately. “I was so scared after the episode so I just shouted at him and told him that I have to leave as the train gets crowded afterwards,” she said in her statement to the police.
Owing to the constant harassment, the 52-year-old once reported directly to the principal, but she was directed again to the vice principal, who was angry at her and even threatened her, she alleged.
The woman, in her complaint, also alleged that once the vice principal told her, “Your lips look so beautiful after applying lipstick.”
Also after an annual function of the college, according to the complaint, the vice principal allegedly went up to her and told her, “You were looking very beautiful in the saree you wore today so I want to buy you some sarees and the saree you wore yesterday was also very nice.”
As the harassment continued, she reported the matter to the college authorities. She then decided to lodge a complaint with the police after which a case was registered against the vice principal.
When contacted, the senior inspector of the police station said, “We have not arrested the vice principal as yet. Our investigation is underway. As per the Supreme Court’s guidelines, we have served him a notice under CrPC for now.”
Source : The Indian Express