The Sirsa police on Monday booked a 52-year-old acting principal of a government school in the district for allegedly sexually harassing Class 10 girls, police said on Monday.

A Sirsa police spokesman said nine minor girl students of the government school had alleged that the acting principal used vulgar words in class and touched the girls inappropriately in the past two months.

“The accused teacher was booked under Sections 74 (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 75 (sexual harassment) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita; Sections 10 (aggravated sexual assault), 12 (sexual harassment) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO) and relevant sections of the SC/ST Act. The accused teacher was handed over to the police by the villagers,” the spokesperson added.

A student said they went in the accused teacher’s car to attend a government program on November 8 and he sang vulgar songs. “When we asked him to stop singing such songs, he threatened us to keep quiet. He has confessed to doing such acts in his previous posts as well,” the girl added.

The village sarpanch said the accused had indulged in three such incidents during his previous postings and the police should take strict action against him. Police said they were investigating the allegations. “If this teacher is not terminated from his service, then we will start an agitation against the education and police departments,” the sarpanch added.

When the students informed the villagers about the alleged incident, the locals gathered in large numbers and reached the school. They later nabbed the accused director and handed him over to the police.

A senior education officer in Sirsa said he would write to senior officers in Panchkula seeking the suspension of the accused teacher until the police complete their investigation.

Last year, the Haryana government sacked a principal of a government school in Jind after 142 female students accused him of sexually harassing them.