The principal of a government school in Chhattisgarh’s Balrampur district has been removed from his post and attached to the collector’s office after booklets associated with rape convict Asaram were allegedly distributed among students, officials said.
The incident took place on October 26 at Swami Atmanand Government English Medium School of Excellence in Raghunathpur village, where the booklets were allegedly handed out to 25 to 30 middle school students.
The school has more than 100 students.
The matter came to light on October 27 after some children took the booklets home and a parent raised concerns with the education department. An inquiry was subsequently ordered after videos showing students holding the booklets surfaced on social media.
Parents Raise Objections Over Booklet Distribution
According to parents, booklets titled Sanskar Sarita, Vrat Niyam and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, among others, were distributed during a visit by members of an organisation associated with Asaram, in the presence of the principal.
A student’s father alleged that some of the materials contained Asaram’s pictures and quotations or information about his followers.
The distribution prompted objections from parents, who questioned why material associated with a convicted offender was being circulated among schoolchildren.
“Given that he is serving a jail term for serious offences and the government has seized his ashrams, such material should not be circulated,” a parent told the media, demanding action against the principal.
According to a report by The Times of India, some students also told the inquiry team that they received copies of Sanskar Sarita from the principal after the visit by members of the organisation.
The inquiry is also examining allegations that students were instructed to prepare for a test based on the booklet’s contents.
Principal Removed Pending Inquiry
Balrampur District Education Officer Narendra Nirapure said the Block Education Officer had been directed to investigate the incident and submit a report.
Based on preliminary findings, principal Mahesh Prajapati was removed from the school and temporarily attached to the education department’s office, officials said.
Nirapure said the principal had defended himself by claiming that he was unaware of the contents of the books.
“The principal, in his defence, said he was not aware of the contents of the book and the people who came to circulate the books misled him by saying they just wanted to circulate some books and he permitted them to do so,” the district education officer said.
The inquiry is intended to establish who authorised the distribution and whether students were asked to study the material for a classroom assessment.
Asaram Serving Life Sentences in Rape Cases
Asaram is serving life sentences in separate rape cases involving incidents reported in 2013.
In 2018, a special court in Jodhpur convicted him of raping a minor girl at his ashram and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The Rajasthan High Court upheld the conviction in May 2025.
He was also sentenced to life imprisonment in a separate rape case by a court in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
