Earlier, around 15 girls of different classes had made the allegation against the principal.
Now the number has reached 60.
The Haryana State Commission for Women (HSCW) is also examining allegations that two girl students might have died by suicide because of sexual assault by the principal.
The scale of alleged sexual assault came to light during the hearing in the case by the Haryana State Commission for Women held by its chairperson Renu Bhatia at Panchkula on Thursday.
Bhatia, said, “Sixty girls have alleged sexual assault against the principal. We are also pursuing the serious allegations that two girls committed suicide because of the sexual assault by the principal.”
For the hearing in the case, the commission had summoned the accused principal, the police officials, including a DSP heading the recently constituted SIT in the case, and officials of the education department.
The accused principal didn’t join the hearing till the filing of this report.
“It is a matter of serious concern that an accused against whom such grave allegations have been made is still to be arrested. The commission will take up the issue with the highest government authorities and seek action against the police officials,” said Bhatia.
The commission had taken serious note of delayed action on the part of the education and police departments.
The commission on the complaint of the girl students had directed the police to register a case on September 14.
“But the police department took more than a month to register a case. Similarly, the education department sat on the complaint for more than a month,” said Bhatia.
The education department swung into action in late October, constituted a committee to investigate the matter; and it suspended the principal on October 27.
The police registered a FIR in the case on October 31. The FIR was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and Section 354 (assault to outrage women’s modesty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
A group of female students of the school had written a letter to different authorities including to the Prime Minister’s Office, National Commission for Women and HSCW detailing their ordeal. The letter was written on August 31.
The girls have alleged that the principal installed black window glasses in his office and used to call any girl student to his office and indulge in obscene acts. As per the complaint, a woman teacher was also allegedly involved and had been sending girls to the principal’s office.
(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault.)