He lifts us, follows us to bathroom: Bihar principal accused of molesting girls
A government school in Bihar’s Nawada erupted in protest after Class 8 girls accused their 52-year-old principal of molesting them, alleging that he would pick them up, touch their cheeks and follow them to the bathroom, where he would allegedly peek at them.
The accused, Mahesh Prasad Yadav, is the principal of an upgraded middle school in Anandpura under Nawada Sadar block. The allegations were made by schoolgirls, who described the alleged behaviour to police and their families.
The girls alleged that the principal would "pick us up" and "touch our cheeks". They further alleged that whenever they went to the bathroom, he would follow them and "peek" at them.
The allegations triggered anger among parents and local residents, who gathered at the school and protested against the principal. Police from Nagar police station and Dial-112 reached the spot and brought the situation under control.
Based on the students' complaints, police registered an FIR against Yadav for alleged molestation and touching the girls with improper intent. Relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act were also invoked.POLICE TEAM INSPECTS SCHOOL
On September 18, a police team led by a woman officer and constables reached the school after receiving information about the alleged molestation. The team inspected the school premises, recorded statements of the students and examined CCTV footage.
"Statements of students were recorded. The CCTV footage was also examined. Based on the complaint, the police took school principal Mahesh Prasad Yadav into custody and brought him to a police station. Later, he was formally arrested during questioning," Nawada district police said in a statement on Monday.
Nagar police station SHO Umashankar Singh said the FIR was registered on the basis of the girls' complaints. He said the allegations involved molestation and inappropriate touching, and that provisions of the POCSO Act had been invoked.
The girls were taken to a hospital for medical examination under the supervision of the woman police officer, police said. After the examination, they were produced before a court for recording of their statements.
A video of the students speaking about the allegations also went viral on social media. The girls are seen crying in the video while describing their allegations against the principal. Following his arrest, Yadav was sent to judicial custody.
Police said the investigation is underway and further legal action will be taken based on its findings. Given the seriousness of the allegations, Nawada Superintendent of Police also constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a thorough probe into the case.OUTRAGE OVER HARASSMENT OF MINORS IN JAMUI
The incident comes days after two Class 10 students, a boy and a girl, were harassed and assaulted by a group of men while returning from a coaching class in Bihar’s Jamui city.
The two had visited the popular Madwa Pahad and were returning on a scooter when the group stopped them on Saturday evening. The men allegedly abused them, forced them off the scooter and assaulted them. When the students tried to escape, the group chased them.
A member of the group recorded the incident on video, which was later circulated on social media, triggering outrage. The video shows one of the men grabbing the boy by the collar and trying to pull him towards himself. The boy, with the girl’s help, managed to free himself before the two tried to flee.
Four people, including three minors, have been arrested in connection with the case so far. Senior police officer KS Anupam said an FIR had been registered at Jamui police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Two of those arrested are aged between 17 and 18, the officer said. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been formed to further investigate the case.- EndsInputs from Sumit Bhagat and agencyPublished By: Priyanka KumariPublished On: Sep 22, 2026 18:26 IST
