"I was told by the then-district coordinator (Bijendra Singh Yadav), who is currently a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in Shivpuri, to bring the girl students of the hostel to him at night. When I declined, he asked me to visit his residence for one night," alleged a former warden of a government-run girls hostel in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh.
In a notarised complaint, accessed by The Quint, to chief secretaries of the state government and home department, among others, the former warden levelled serious allegations against Yadav, the SDM of Pichhore, who was earlier posted as district coordinator incharge at Shivpuri.
The former warden alleged that Yadav had "acted with bias while working with the hostel and wardens posted there and had asked her to supply girls to him" in May and June this year.
She also alleged that Yadav used to visit the girls' hostels after the stipulated time and would be seen chatting with wardens of other hostels at night.
In 2016, the government started six hostels (four for girls and two for boys) in Shivpuri district under the supervision of the district administration.
Yadav had resumed charge of the hostels earlier this year but was relieved from the charge on 29 July 2022 and was posted as SDM of Picchore in Shivpuri.
SDM Denies Allegations, Collector Says Probe Ordered
Talking to The Quint, SDM Yadav claimed that the former warden was enraged as he had ordered the hostel to be shifted from a private building to a government building and had attached her to the office of the Tribal Welfare Department in Shivpuri.
"I was given the charge of hostels earlier this year and had ordered for four hostels out of six that were running in private buildings to be shifted to government buildings. This enraged the warden and so she is levelling these baseless accusations against me."SDM Bijendra Singh Yadav
When questioned about the photographs that the former warden had attached with her complaints, he claimed:
"In May-June this year, during summer vacations, I visited the hostels to inspect the renovation works that were going on. I never entered the hostel. I sat outside."
After the complaint sent by the former warden, Akshay Singh, collector of Shivpuri, has ordered a probe into the matter.
Singh told The Quint:
"We have received the complaint and have constituted a team to enquire into the allegations. The team has two lady officers."
Singh, however, didn't share with The Quint, the details of any preliminary findings or the scope of investigation, before disconnecting the call.
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