At a press conference held today at his residence the classical maestro said that if the parents had acted upon the girl's complaints about harassment she would have been alive today
Pandit Birju Maharaj, veteran classical dancer and guru of Raghav Shah, father of the Ahlcon Public School girl who committed suicide earlier this week, has demanded a CBI probe on the matter. This demand was raised in a press conference held in his New Delhi residence today evening. The Shah family was also present at the press conference.
Maharaj said that the girl was a fine classical dancer and that her suicide has left him shocked and dismayed. “I will go to meet the Indian Prime Minister if necessary to secure justice for her,” Maharaj said.
City Spidey asked Maharaj about why the parents of the girl had not taken any action against the teachers when she had been frequently complaining about mental and sexual harassment. Maharaj said that had the parents taken action in time the girl would have been alive today.
Maharaj reiterated that the school management should cooperate in the investigations. However, the parents are apprehensive about their safety. “We have asked the SSP of Gautam Budh Nagar for police protection,” the father of the girl stated.
A team from Delhi Government’s Directorate of Education also visited the house of the deceased and spoke to her family members. The family informed them about the allegations of sexual harassment and demanded a fair probe. Today morning they went to Garhmukteshwar and submerged the last remains in Ganga. The family members later attended the press conference called by Birju Maharaj.
The 16 year old girl was found hanging in her residence in Noida Sector 52 of Noida on Wednesday evening. Her parents have alleged that the school teachers had sexually harassed their daughter and deliberately failed her in her annual exams.
On Thursday, the Shah family had blocked the Noida-Delhi link road (from both sides) for around 5 hours and demanded justice for their daughter. They also demanded the police to arrest the accused immediately.
Noida Police has filed an FIR against two teachers and the principal under the IPC Sections 306 (abetment to suicide), 354 (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and POCSO Act. However, Noida Police have not got any concrete evidence yet and are investigating the matter.
