Alwar: A viral video of a govt school principal bathing in dam waters with school girls and lifting some of them on his lap has prompted villagers’ protests and a departmental inquiry in Alwar’s Pratapgarh police station area.Villagers reached the school Saturday, objecting to principal Lal Chand Meena’s conduct. The head of Govt Senior Secondary School in Alwar’s Padak Chapli was then reported to police. They alleged Meena took students from classes 9 to 12 to Bharaj dam, about 2 km away, on Aug 15 in the name of teaching swimming, made them enter the water without life jackets and without adequate safety arrangements, and that no woman teacher was present with the girls.“The principal took about 200 students from classes 9 to 12 through a forest route to Bharaj dam,” villager Mohanlal Yogi alleged, adding that the principal was seen bathing in the dam with girl students while wearing very few clothes.Villagers said the dam’s embankment is 5 to 6 feet wide and that several children and young men have died there in past drownings. They said visiting the spot had been prohibited for the last four years due to safety risks, and alleged that most of the children taken to the dam did not know how to swim.Pratapgarh station house officer Rajkumar Meena said police reached the school Saturday after receiving information about the protest, spoke to villagers and recorded the principal’s statement. He said no written complaint has been received so far from any student, girl student or parent. Police said they have informed the education department and are investigating on the basis of the viral video.Thanagazi block education officer Shakuntala Yadav said a three-member committee has been formed to investigate. “After the committee’s report, the students’ statements, and completion of the inquiry, a detailed report will be sent to the District Education Officer,” she said.District Education Officer Alwar Manoj Sharma said a report has been sought from the Thanagazi block education officer and further action will follow after it is received.
