Ruchika’s principal returns govt award

The principal of Sacred Heart School, who was indicted in a magisterial inquiry for unfairly expelling Ruchika Girhotra, has returned a state award for “meritorious contribution”.

A commendation certificate, a medal and prize money of Rs5,000 given to Sister Sebastina was returned to the DPI (schools).

Father Thomas, the spokesperson of the Shimla-Chandigarh diocese said, “We don’t serve for awards or money. No recognition from them (union territory authorities) can match the 45 years of selfless service we’ve given. Driven by media pressure, the UT administration has victimised the school’s principal. If they were so just, why did they confer the award at all? Even then, everybody knew about the allegations against the school by these complainants.”

The administration had earlier decided to withdraw the award after the inquiry found the principal guilty of “arbitrarily” expelling Ruchika Girhotra in 1990.

Though the Sacred Heart management, backed by the Catholic diocese of Shimla-Chandigarh, had asserted that the principal was innocent, it returned the award saying “it [the award] was not what they were serving the city for”. 

Fr Thomas said Ruchika was not expelled, she “stopped coming and her name was struck off the rolls”.