Principal Suspended for Privacy Violation: Rajasthan School Official Checks Student's Phone Without Permission

A government senior secondary school's acting principal in Jodhpur faced suspension on Saturday after checking a female student's mobile phone, an action deemed as privacy violation by officials.

The director of secondary education made this decision following an investigation that confirmed allegations against the principal, citing the act as an intrusion into the student's privacy rights.

Officials reported that a Class 11 student at PM Shri Mahatma Gandhi Government School brought her mobile device to school premises on Saturday.

The acting principal, Shakeel Ahmed, seized the phone, unlocked it without permission, and proceeded to examine her WhatsApp conversations, Instagram account, call records, and photo gallery.

Ahmed has subsequently provided a written statement acknowledging this conduct.

Additional allegations suggest that Ahmed questioned the student regarding a male classmate who sits adjacent to her in class.

After returning home, the student informed her family about the incident, prompting her parents to visit the school and express their strong objections.

The family filed a formal written complaint with the education department, expressing concerns that the principal could have potentially misused any personal information found on the device.

This complaint triggered an official investigation ordered by the education directorate.

According to the investigation findings, the principal admitted to examining the phone, but claimed his intention was merely to verify that the student hadn't recorded any videos during examination period at the school.