Subhro Maitra, TNN | Aug 5, 2012, 12.48AM IST

West Bengal school principal accused of drugging, molesting students in hostel
A Bengal school principal-cum-warden has been accused of drugging and molesting students on the pretext of giving them medicines.

MALDA: The principal-cum-warden of a residential school in Kaliachak has been accused of drugging and molesting students on the pretext of giving them medicines. Though many students have been allegedly victimized for years, it came to light when the father of a Class IX girl lodged a complaint against the principal,Najib Ali, last Friday.

Ali, who is an influential Trinamool leader, has gone into hiding. It is the latest in a string of crimes in Bengal schools, from a girl being stripped in a co-ed classroom to another being forced to lick her own urine in hostel.

SS Point Residential School of Nazirpur has been running for 10 years and around 100 girls stay in a hostel adjoining the campus. Though only three have officially complained, many more have alleged that Ali, who lived near the school, regularly misbehaved with them.

A few days back, when a Class IX student fell ill, Ali was summoned to the hostel. Instead of giving her medicines, he allegedly drugged the student to make her unconscious and then molested her, says the FIR.

On Friday evening, the girl’s father went to meet her at the hostel and found her unusually quiet. It took a lot of coaxing to get her to speak, says the father. “When my daughter told me about her experience. I was too shocked to react. I rushed to the principal’s room. But he denied the charges and said it was a conspiracy to defame him. Then the other students also narrated their ordeal,” he said.

The victim’s father went to Kaliachak police station late on Friday night and lodged a complaint against Ali. Soon other guardians and villagers joined him and demanded that Ali be arrested. “We could never imagine that the students were put through such torture. The girls kept quiet because they were scared of their future,” said another guardian.

With Ali being a Trinamool leader, the allegation caused the party much embarrassment. The party’s district president, social welfare minister Sabitri Mitra, said: “The police have to arrest the accused teacher without considering his political affiliation.” She even blamed police inaction for the rise in crime against women in the district.

Malda SP Jayanta Pal said that Kaliachak police raided Ali’s house but he was not found. Police teams are out looking for him.The victim’s father went to Kaliachak police station late on Friday night and lodged a complaint against Ali. Soon other guardians and villagers joined him and demanded that Ali be arrested. “We could never imagine that the students were put through such torture. The girls kept quiet because they were scared of their future,” said another guardian.

With Ali being a Trinamool leader, the allegation caused the party much embarrassment. The party’s district president, social welfare minister Sabitri Mitra, said: “The police have to arrest the accused teacher without considering his political affiliation.” She even blamed police inaction for the rise in crime against women in the district.

Malda SP Jayanta Pal said that Kaliachak police raided Ali’s house but he was not found. Police teams are out looking for him.