Mumbai: FIR under Atrocities Act against principal of secondary training college

A first information report (FIR) was lodged at the Azad Maidan police station on Wednesday against the principal of a South Mumbai educational institution, a woman, for making lewd comments about female students and derogatory comments about a student from the Scheduled Tribes.

Police filed the FIR against Dr Urmila Parlikar of the state government’s Secondary Training College at Dhobi Talao under section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989.

A second-year BEd student lodged the complaint. In her statement, she said there are 34 students in her class. On June 24, during a practical session, the principal commented on her handwriting and asked where she hails from. When the student said she was from Palghar district, Dr Parlikar allegedly made some derogatory comments.

The victim alleged that the principal also insulted other students who are from the backward classes.

Dr Parlikar also allegedly made rude comments about the anatomies of some female students when they sought a change in uniform.

While the complaint has been filed by one student, 23 students from the class have also signed a petition and handed it over to the Mumbai unit of the National Students Union of India (NSUI).

Investigation is on, but the principal has not been arrested. ACP Milind Khetle of the Azad Maidan division said "action will be taken as per the law".

A student, who asked not to be identified, told The Free Press Journal that students had been subjected to offensive comments for a while and had had enough.

The Journal has learnt that the students first approached the NSUI Mumbai unit vice-president Faisal Shaikh and Priyanka Hate, woman president of the students’ wing of COPS (Care of Public Safety Association), after which they took the complainant to the police.