Lucknow: A private school principal in Kushinagar was arrested after a video purportedly showing him making objectionable remarks to a female staff member went viral on social media. The accused, identified as Dinesh Rai of Motichhappar under Ravindranagar Dhoos police station limits, was arrested after police took cognisance of a social media post alleging inappropriate conduct, sexual harassment and threats against the woman. The over five-minute video purportedly captures a heated exchange between Rai and the staff member. During the conversation, the woman is heard objecting to his remarks and repeatedly telling him not to touch her. At several points, she questions why she had been called to the school alone on a holiday and asks why he was not speaking to her in the presence of others. She also objects to comments about her personal life and his suggestion that she should remarry. The woman further questions whether he behaved similarly with other female staff members. As the conversation becomes increasingly confrontational, she repeatedly asks him to maintain his distance. She is also heard questioning why she was being stopped from leaving when it was already around 2.27 pm and insists on returning home. Towards the end of the recording, she continues to protest against his alleged behaviour. Police said the authenticity of the video and the circumstances surrounding the recording are being investigated. Authorities are examining the footage and other evidence as part of the probe. After the video circulated widely on social media, Ravindranagar Dhoos police registered a case and arrested Rai. He has been booked under Sections 75 (sexual harassment), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 351(3) (aggravated criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police said further legal action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation and the evidence collected.
