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PATIALA: The headmistress of a government school near Ghanour in Patiala district of Punjab was placed under suspension after a 17-year-old male student levelled allegations of sexual harassment against her.

The orders were passed by the secretary, school education, Krishan Kumar, after the circle education officer (CEO) Nisha Jalota, filed a report after probing the allegations.

The headmistress has been asked to report at the headquarters of the Punjab School Education Board. Jalota said that they had found credible information suggesting that the principal had been indulging in some wrong practices on the school premises.

The boy had alleged that the head mistress had forced him to have physical relations with her. He also alleged that she would often ask him to stay late in her office, arrange for food and make him stay overnight at her house. The matter came to light after the principal rusticated the boy after some differences and the boy's parents reached there to protest.

Surprisingly, similar allegations were levelled against the principal two years back when a video of her dancing with another school boy had gone viral.

The matter was brought to the notice of the senior officials of the education department.

The principal could not be contacted for her comments, but some of the teachers stated on camera that they were always suspicious of the principal's approach towards the boy who had alleged harassment.

