Delhi teacher fights fake sting trauma

New Delhi: In an alleged fake sting operation carried out by a news channel, Uma Khurana, a government school teacher, was shown pushing her girl students into prostitution.

The airing of the show on August 30 led to violence in Daryaganj in central Delhi, where the school is located.

A mob attacked her and ripped off her clothes. Had it not been for timely action by the police, Khurana would have been lynched in broad daylight. She was, subsequently, arrested.

For a few minutes of fame, a journalist Prakash Singh had apparently roped in another aspiring journalist Rashmi Singh and conducted what is believed to be a fake sting operation. Prakash had been contacted by Virendra Arora, whom Khurana had met in a school where she taught two years ago.

Luckily for her, good Samaritans in the form of lawyers and Society for Spreading Legal Awareness Amongst Masses, an NGO, popularly referred to as Sslam India, took up her case.

Together they supported Khurana and bailed her out. Her fight to regain her lost honour has just begun.

Journalist Prakash Singh was charged on Tuesday with abetting rioting that erupted on August 30.

"We are also investigating if the reporter had other ulterior motives than just framing the teacher," a police spokesman said.

Furious parents and supporters of supposed victims publicly stripped the 42-year-old teacher, damaged cars and attacked buildings after LiveIndia broadcast the 30-minute sting story.

LiveIndia officials said the reporter, who was arrested last week, had convinced editors the sting was authentic.

In an exclusive interview Gulf News talks to Khurana, a former mathematics teacher at Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Daryaganj.

GULF NEWS: From a role model to being accused of soliciting school girls into prostitution, life changed for you overnight.

UMA KHURANA: I am not able to face life. Having lost both my reputation and my job, I have no idea how I will ever come out of this trauma. I feel so helpless. Everything has been so sudden and the shock immense that I do not know whom to trust. Insecurity apart, I fear for my children's life and that of mine. I was never a weak or submissive person, but this incident has shaken me to the core.

The case is being referred to as a 'fake' sting operation and the TV channel responsible for it has been banned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for one month.

The repercussions being suffered by the TV channel are nothing compared to the humiliation and torture inflicted upon me. They have ruined my life. The police have given me a clean chit.

Would you say that you were never involved in a prostitution racket? Could it be that you were a novice and got caught?

No, I have never been into an immoral occupation. I myself have young children and can never even think of getting into such a dishonourable profession. Some people have conspired against me and planned the entire operation.

Who are the people behind the conspiracy to malign you?

I have lodged a complaint at the Daryaganj Police Station naming Dr Prem Saral, former Vice Principal, Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Vivek Vihar, where I used to teach two years ago. She has been under judicial custody and the police interrogated her. It was basically a case of misappropriation of school funds of which I was aware.

Why have you been silent on this issue till now?

I realise that I made a blunder by keeping quiet. And the only reason was I was threatened that my children would be killed if I opened my mouth.

Since when have you known Virendra Arora?

I have known him for the past two years from the time when I was teaching at the Vivek Vihar school. He claimed to be working with a popular brand of pencils. At that time I was in charge of the Vidhalaya Kalyan Samiti [council] and he wanted me to hand over the charge of the office stationery to him. I declined. Now I know that at the behest of Saral, he introduced me to Prakash Singh, who conducted the fake sting operation. On the pretext of doing jewellery business he met me. I told him very clearly that being in a government job there was no question of my getting into any side business. But he kept insisting and then talked about providing girls.

In normal circumstances, any woman would flare up when as Prakash Singh insisted you could provide girls since you were working in a school. Were you?

I was strict with him initially. But then he started harassing me and making phone calls. And his threats of killing my children scared me so much that I thought I would lose my mental balance. Intimidated, I just kept quiet and did not inform anyone.

What was your experience like in Tihar Jail?

I live that trauma everyday. For two days the inmates looked down upon me and taunted me by saying that I must have spoiled the lives of thousands of girls. But after realising that I was innocent and had been trapped, they were nice and comforting. I would just sit there staring blankly wondering what wrong I had done to undergo such a harrowing experience. But not even once I lost faith in God and the judiciary. My heart said that I would be absolved of all the charges soon.

What kind of association have you had with Rashmi Singh? According to a news report the police claim it has mobile phone records to prove that you spoke to Rashmi several times over the phone.

I met Rashmi for the first time with Arora and Prakash Singh. And have absolutely no idea what the police mean by having mobile records showing my conversations with her.

Do you feel Rashmi is also a victim of circumstances?

Yes, she is. And I wish her well.

What was your conversation like with her at Tihar Jail?

Although we were in cells opposite to each other's, Rashmi was hesitant to approach me. Finally, I broke the ice and said that she was like my daughter and asked her if she believed that I was running a prostitution racket. She burst out crying saying I was innocent and apologised profusely for getting me into trouble. She said she was herself victimised and used by Prakash Singh.

Have you considered filing a defamation case against the TV channel seeking compensation?

That is secondary. The foremost thing on my mind is to get my name cleared and be able to face the world.

Will you file an appeal before the Education Department seeking reinstatement?

Had my mother not supported me at this juncture, I would have been on the road today. It is unfortunate that the education department which I have served 20 years lost no time in sacking me. But despite the judiciary's report and the police giving me a clean chit, it has neither sent me an apology nor reinstated me.

Since I need the job and have no other source of income, I have no choice but to approach them on my own.