Students of Gurukul Grammar High School leave for home after classes were cancelled for the day on Thursday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Nov. 10: City police arrested the principal of Gurukul Grammar Senior Secondary School B.K. Bhuyan late tonight on charges of molesting a Class X student of the school.

Following the shocking revelation by the girl, agitated students of the school had disrupted classes, demanding the resignation of the principal.

The students said this was not the first time that such an allegation has been levelled against the principal.

The father of the girl has filed a complaint at Noonmati police station. In the complaint, he claimed that during recess on Tuesday, Bhuyan called his daughter to his chamber and made sexual advances.

“We have registered a case and investigations are on,” a police official said. The principal is likely to be questioned by the police very soon.

Narrating her ordeal, the girl said on Tuesday, the principal sent a chowkidar to bring her to his chamber, saying her mother had come to meet her.

“When I entered the principal’s room, I was surprised not to find my mother there. When I asked him about my mother, he changed the topic and told me that since my family’s financial condition was not very sound, he was ready to waive my school and bus fees. Then he offered me Rs 100 and pounced on me. Shocked by his behaviour, I started to cry. He then threatened me with dire consequences if I reported the incident to anyone,” the girl said.

After remaining silent for some time, she finally mustered enough courage and narrated her traumatic experience to her classmates yesterday.

“Such indecent behaviour by the principal with the girl students is not new. But this time we have decided that enough is enough. We will continue our agitation unless he steps down and apologises to the victim,” a Class X student said.

Bhuyan, however, vehemently denied the allegations, saying it was a conspiracy to malign his image. He said he had called the student to his office only for counselling.

“I offered her help because I knew that she was not from a financially sound family and may not be in a position to pay the fees. The molestation charges against me are totally false,” Bhuyan said. “It could be the fallout of my decision to take disciplinary action against some unruly students,” he added.

The students, however, said last year the principal molested a Class VIII student but the matter went unreported as the victim preferred to remain silent fearing repercussion.

Earlier in the day, the senior students laid a siege to the principal’s office, demanding an apology for his misdeed.

As tempers ran high, the police had to intervene to restore order in the school at Geetanagar.

The school has been declared closed till November 15.