BHOPAL: Two superintendents/wardens of government girls' hostels in Barwani district and Khargone district have been accused of allegedly harassing female students within hostel premises.
In Barwani, the police registered an FIR against a hostel warden accused of allegedly molesting and sexually harassing Class XII female students.
In Khargone, the hostel warden was suspended for allegedly forcing female students (of up to Class V) to clean toilets, perform Christian religious prayers and read Bible.
In Pulsood area of Barwani district, the warden Preeti Rathod was booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, on Sunday.
The FIR was lodged against the warden after the Barwani district education officer filed a complaint based on the statements of three Class XII students, all from tribal communities.
The girls alleged that the warden had inappropriately touched them on several occasions between 2023 and 2025, adding that the warden had misbehaved with the girls while dressing for their farewell function in January.
One student alleged that the warden had recorded her touching the girl on her cell phone. Another student alleged that apart from the female warden, a male official from the education department had also recently sexually harassed the student in the hostel and asked her to accompany her to Indore for two days.
While confirming the lodging of the FIR against the hostel superintendent/warden woman, the Pulsood police station in-charge Sher Singh Bhuria said, “The superintendent’s cell-phone (with which the videos of the girls were recorded) has been seized. Also, during the course of investigations, if the name of any other person (government official) crops up, then that individual too won’t be spared.”
In the adjoining Khargone district, students (up to Class V) of a tribal girls’ hostel in Bhikangaon area, have alleged that the hostel warden Rita Kharte was forcing them to clean toilets, beating them, and compelling them to perform Christian religious prayers as well as read the Bible.
After a primary enquiry into the matter, during which motivational quotes from the Bible were found written on the note books of the students in the concerned hostel, the warden had been suspended by the assistant commissioner (tribal affairs) Prashant Arya.
According to the Khargone district collector, Bhavya Mitta, a departmental enquiry will be instituted against the concerned hostel superintendent and based on the findings of the probe, appropriate action will be initiated further.