Video: Principal takes schoolgirls to risky dam outing, seen bathing with them

A Rajasthan government school principal was suspended after a video showed him bathing in a dam with girl students. The footage prompted local outrage, a police response and an education department enquiry.Alwar school principal suspended (Photo: Screengrab)A government school principal in Rajasthan's Alwar district has been suspended after a video showing him bathing in a dam with girl students went viral, triggering an inquiry by the education department.The development comes after Aaj Tak, India Today’s sister channel, reported the viral video and the circumstances surrounding the incident, bringing the principal's conduct and the safety of the students under scrutiny.The principal, Lalchand Meena, who heads a government school in Thanagazi, was seen in the video in the water with students from Classes 9 to 12. At one point, he was also seen lifting a girl student in his arms.The incident occurred on August 15, following the school's Independence Day celebrations. According to villagers, Meena took students to the dam, around two kilometres from the school, along a forest route on the pretext of swimming and an outing. Around 20–25 senior girl students were among the children taken to the site. Villagers raised concerns over the safety arrangements, saying the children were taken into the water without life jackets or adequate safety measures. Several students did not know how to swim.The dam's embankment is around five to six feet wide, and villagers said drowning incidents had occurred at the site in the past.EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SUSPENDS PRINCIPAL The video sparked outrage in the area, following which villagers reached the school and informed the police. The police recorded Meena's statement, while the education department initiated an enquiry into the incident.A probe was conducted by the block education officer, whose findings were sent to the education department headquarters in a sealed envelope. The report was later submitted to the department headquarters.Based on the report, Director of Secondary Education Lalit Kumar ordered Meena's suspension with immediate effect. Bikaner has been fixed as his headquarters during the suspension period.- EndsPublished By: Akash ChatterjeePublished On: Aug 23, 2026 19:48 IST