CBSE Yet to Decide on Report by Ruchika School
May 30, 2010
A report submitted by a Chandigarh school on expulsion of Ruchika Girhotra,
who was molested by former Haryana DGP S P S Rathore, is under consideration of
CBSE and no decision has been taken on it.
"The school has submitted the report about its action of expelling Ruchika. The
report is being considered by a committee. No decision has been taken in this
matter," CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi said.
The Sacred Heart Convent School in Chandigarh, which was asked by Central Board
of Secondary Education to explain its action, had submitted its report in March.
The school has insisted that there was no wrongdoing by it.
The school in Chandigarh's Sector 26 area had expelled Ruchika for allegedly not
paying fees. Ruchika, a budding tennis player, was molested by Rathore in 1990
and she committed suicide three years later. Her family alleges that she was
driven to suicide due to harassment by the former IPS officer who also got the
school to expel her.
Joshi said the school requested that its principal should be heard once before
any decision is taken.
"Now the committee will hear the principal of the school after which a decision
will be taken," he said.
A magisterial inquiry had earlier indicted the school for "wrongfully expelling"
Ruchika.
The inquiry by the sub-divisional magistrate Prerna Puri had said non-payment of
fees in time was not a satisfactory reason for her expulsion. It suggested
action against the school and its Principal Sister Sebastina for expelling her
allegedly under pressure from Rathore.
Out of 135 students, who had not paid the fees, Ruchika was the only student to
be expelled.
Rathore was sentenced to six months' rigorous imprisonment on December 21 last
year by a CBI court for molesting Ruchika. A sessions court had on May 25
enhanced his prison term to 18 months.
Ruchika's father S C Girhotra, meanwhile, demanded that a case should be filed
against the school for alleged criminal conspiracy.
"Case should be filed against school under Section 120-B IPC. Affiliation of the
school should be withdrawn," he said and accused the management of "abetting"
his daughter's suicide.
Courtesy: http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?683738