MUMBAI, November 17: Three persons including two close relatives of the Chairman of the BMC Standing Committee Sardar Tara Singh were arrested on Saturday for issuing death threats to the lady principal of a Bhandup school. The school, incidentally, is owned by Tara Singh himself.

The three accused, Amarjeet Singh (Tara Singh's nephew), Inderaj Sadhram N Jog (Tara Singh's brother) and one Phulchand Apparao Mulge -- were later released on bail on Saturday.

Forty-two-year-old Usha Prem Arora, the principal of the Gujarati section of SPS Janata Vidyalaya & Junior College in Bhandup (West) was held captive in her cabin by some members of the school management and some intruders on Saturday. As she spoke to Express Newsline, it was obvious that she has yet to overcome her trauma. ``I was overpowered by them in the school in the presence of the other school teachers who could just watch as they were prevented from entering my cabin to help me,'' Arora said, red-eyed and trying to still the trembling of her hands. The genesis of the problem lies in the appointment of a second principal by the management to run the English section, while Arora who has been virtually governing the entire school since 1989 questions the need for a second principal.

``But the school is mine and the lady (Usha) is just an employee in her capacity as the principal of the Gujarati section,'' said Tara Singh.

Denying any use of undue force or death threats, he added: ``As I am involved in a property dispute with my brothers, she is taking advantage of the situation and issuing baseless allegations against the management committee members so that she can capture authority at the school herself.''But Arora counter-alleges that her attackers had come well-prepared to frighten her and had mal-intentions. On Saturday afternoon, Arora claims, she was grabbed by Amarjeet Singh and prevented from opening her cupboard in the cabin while her window pane was also shattered and loud death threats yelled at her by the other accused. ``They told me, `We shall see how you even manage to stay in Bhandup in one piece.' They had even hired a photographer to click pictures of the way I was being humiliated,'' she revealed. Other school employees revealed on condition of anonymity that the attackers also forced a school watchman to sit on the principal's chair.

Arora alleges that the torture by the management has been going on for the last one year now. ``This time, they tried to scare me physically but mentally they have been harassing me for the past one year. Earlier in October too this year, they had threatened me and I lodged a non-cognizable offence at Bhandup police,'' she revealed.

Since then, the principal is guarded by an armed constable from the Bhandup police station and she has been provided a makeshift room in the school, after her cabin was locked up. All official documents have also been seized by the management.

The state education department is already enquiring as to how one school can have two principals, and the matter has subsequently been taken to court by the other principal nominated by the management. When asked how the school could seize official documents from Arora when the court had yet to adjudicate the matter, Tara Singh replied: ``A principal is an employee, so why give her the documents... we have, however, provided her with letter pads, stamps and other accessories.''

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.