Jharkhand news : A court in Ranchi has sentenced the former principal of DAV Kapildev School, Manoj Kumar Sinha, to three years in prison in connection with a sexual harassment case involving a nursing staff member of the school.
The court of Arvind Kumar, Additional Judicial Commissioner (AJC), also imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on the convicted former principal.
Court had earlier held him guilty
Earlier, the court had found Manoj Kumar Sinha guilty after completing hearings from both sides and reserving its judgment. The victim was represented by advocates Khushboo Kataruka and Shubham Kataruka.
Allegations surfaced in 2022
The case dates back to May 2022, when a female nurse employed at the school accused the then principal of sexual harassment and making obscene demands.
Following the complaint, an FIR was lodged at Argora police station, and Manoj Kumar Sinha was subsequently suspended from his position.
Bail cancelled after allegations of intimidation
The former principal had initially secured bail from the Jharkhand High Court in November 2022. However, the victim later alleged that after coming out of jail, he attempted to threaten and pressure her.
Acting on the victim’s plea, the Jharkhand High Court cancelled his bail.
Supreme Court also denied relief
Manoj Kumar Sinha challenged the High Court’s order in the Supreme Court of India, but he did not receive any relief there either.
After the Supreme Court’s refusal to intervene, he surrendered before the court and was sent back to jail.
Charge sheet filed after investigation
The investigating officer completed the probe and filed the charge sheet before the court on July 25, 2022.
The verdict is being seen as a significant development in cases related to workplace harassment and misconduct within educational institutions.
