THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of Kerala Women’s Commission initiating a probe against a school principal of a city school for allegedly mentally harassing teachers, a school teacher has given a statement against the principal to the city police. The Vattiyoorkavu police have recorded the statement of the teacher at Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan school, Kodunganoor based on her complaint filed to City Police Commissioner M R Ajithkumar. The Women’s Commission is also probing the case simultaneously based on the complaint of teachers.
According to police, the teacher had stated that school principal Sunil Chacko had mentally tortured her by cancelling increment and behaving harshly to her. The increment was cancelled after her students in the Economics Department failed in the school examination. She had stated that she was forced to work standing over 8 hours in a day. Moreover, her teaching was regularly monitored by the principal through CCTV and he used to ridicule her by saying that her body language was not good. Besides, the principal forced students to complain against teachers, the statement said. Meanwhile, the police also recorded Sunil Chacko’s statement and he reportedly stated that he had never misbehaved with or harassed the complainant. Sunil told the police that the class hours was only six hours from 8.30 am to 3 pm, and hence the statement by the teacher of working for 8 hours was baseless. He said the school gave enough intervals and breaks to give a stress-free environment to teachers.
On CCTVs, Sunil said the CBSE had mandatorily instructed that all schools should have C C T V cameras. “We have recorded the statement from both the complainant and the principal. We will record a statement from some teachers from the schools as well. So we will register a case only after recording statements from other teachers as the school has a workplace harassment committee. We need to check whether the teacher had complained to the committee,” said V Asokakumar, Station House Officer, Vattiyoorkavu police. Sunil was also summoned to women’s commission adalat earlier to record his statements.
‘NEVER MISBEHAVED’
School principal Sunil Chacko said he had never misbehaved with or harassed the complainant.