Bandra

rape

teacher

Father George Athaide

The principal has been asked to go on leave, pending investigation Father George Athaide, secretary, Archdiocesan Board of Education

A 19-year-old primary schoolteacher from a school inEast has filed acomplaint against the principal of the school, who is also a priest.The complainant, who lodged an FIR in the matter on January 31 at Kherwadi police station, alleged that the police were stalling the matter and trying to protect the accused.According to the FIR, the complainant told the police she was first molested by the accused six years ago, when she was a student in the school. She said the principal also made sexual advances towards her when she started working there part-time, in July 2107. Later, he called her home for some official work, and forced himself upon her, the complaint stated."While all this was happening, my younger siblings were still in the school. He (the principal) would threaten to expel them from the school if I told anyone about what he had done to me. Despite this, I told the female vice principal and another seniorabout it, but they refused to believe me. After this, I decided to confide in the father of a friend, who provided me with a spy camera," the complainant said.The next day, the principal called her home again, and the complainant recorded the entire incident on camera. "When my friend's father confronted the principal, he made a female staffer 'counsel' me. She forced me to submit the camera to the school authorities. They also made me sign a letter saying nothing wrong had happened with me," she said. After this, she alleged, she had tried to approach the police a couple of times but they refused to register her complaint.Local social worker Nilesh Ghag helped the complainant file her complaint last month. "Even when I went to the police station with her, the police did not register a complaint. I had to approach a senior official for them to register the FIR. Despite such serious complaints against the accused, they have still not taken him into custody," Ghag said.When asked about the case, senior PI Rajendra Patil of Kherwadi police at first refused to comment on the case. Later, all he said was, "The investigation is on."Secretary of the Archdiocesan Board of Education,, said, "The principal has been asked to go on leave, pending investigation."