Srinagar: The Directorate of School Education Kashmir on Monday suspended a senior lecturer posted at Government Higher Secondary School Sopore and attached him to a school in Gurez pending an inquiry into allegations of harassment and sexual assault made by a student.
According to an official order issued by the Directorate under reference number CEO/Bla/IMW/F-948/8995-98, Ghulam Hassan Mir, Senior Lecturer in Urdu at Government Higher Secondary School Sopore, has been placed under suspension with immediate effect.
The order said the suspension will remain in force till completion of the inquiry.
Following the suspension, Mir has been attached to Boys Higher Secondary School Badugam in the remote Gurez Valley for the duration of the suspension.
The Directorate has appointed the Joint Director, North Kashmir, as the inquiry officer and directed him to conduct a detailed probe into the matter and submit a report within 15 days.
While the official suspension order did not specify the allegations against the lecturer, police said a criminal case has been registered after a girl student accused him of harassment and sexual assault.
Senior Superintendent of Police Sopore Iftkhar Talib said police have registered a case against Ghulam Hassan Mir and initiated an investigation following the complaint lodged by the student.
“We have registered a case against lecturer Ghulam Hassan Mir based on a sexual assault complaint against him,” a senior police officer said.
Police, however, did not disclose the specific sections under which the case has been registered.
Following the allegations, students staged protests in Sopore demanding strict action against the lecturer.
Officials said the situation remained largely peaceful despite the protests.
The departmental inquiry ordered by the Directorate and the police investigation are proceeding simultaneously.
