Minor tribal girls allege molestation in hostel

Minor inmates of a tribal girls hostel at Salogra in Solan,Himachal Pradesh,were allegedly molested and harassed by the husband of the hostel in-charge. Hostel accountant Pawan Goel 48 has been accused by nine girls in a written complaint and based on that he has been booked by the police. On Tuesday,Goel was remanded to police custody till February 15 by a local court.

Goels wife Kiran is the warden of Adivasi Balika Chatravas,being funded by the Adim Jati Sewak Sangh,Delhi. The hostel accommodates 31 tribal girls,majority of them belonging to Himachals Kinnaur district and five from Jharkhands Ranchi district. These girls study at the Government Senior Secondary School,Salogra.

In a written complaint submitted to ADG,CID,I D Bhandari,a 15-year-old girl from Kinnaur,who is Class X student,has cited instances where Goel had allegedly molested and sexually harassed nine girls,all belonging to Kinnaur district.

The complainant is under treatment for depression at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital. With the help of Umang Foundation,she approached the police. The girls have alleged that Goel used to frequently ask them to massage his body and often kissed them or asked them to kiss him.

When The Indian Express approached Kiran on Tuesday,she denied the allegations but admitted that girls used to massage my husbands legs but only below the knees.