Tiruchy: Four including school correspondent, her husband held over sexual harassment of Class 4 girl
The correspondent's husband was the "key accused" in the matter involving the minor girl, a senior police official said.
Visual from the spot (Maalaimalar)
TIRUCHY: Tension prevailed at Manapparai after a school trustee reportedly sexually harassed a class 4 girl in the classroom and the relatives who went to the school manhandled the accused and ransacked the school in a protest that lasted till 2 am on Friday.
The police arrested four persons while the school principal surrendered at the station late in the evening.
The family of Marachi (79) has been running Sri Guru Vidyalaya Matriculation School at Manapparaipatti Road and Sri Guru Vidyalaya CBSE School adjacent to it, said sources.
Marachi’s daughter Sudha is the correspondent for both the schools while her husband J Vasantha Kumar (54) is the trustee. On Thursday, while the classes were on, Vasantha Kumar, who went to class 4 at CBSE school, reportedly sexually abused a girl in the classroom. The girl who felt uneasy managed to escape and informed her parents upon reaching home.
The shocked parents along with their relatives went to the school and found Vasantha Kumar in the Matriculation school and manhandled him. On information, the Manapparai police rushed to the spot, rescued Vasantha Kumar and sent him to the Manapparai GH.
By that time, around 100 residents including the relatives of the victim ransacked the school and damaged the cars parked on its premises.
Despite police holding talks, the irate residents blocked the Tiruchy-Dindigul NH at around 11.30 pm demanding the immediate arrest of the accused and the correspondent, the principal and the administrators.
On information, DIG (Tiruchy Range) V Varun Kumar, SP S Selvanagarathirnam and other officials rushed to the spot and held talks with the agitating residents.
Subsequently, the police arrested the main accused Vasantha Kumar, school president Marachi, correspondent Sudha and deputy correspondent M Elanchezhian.
On learning of the arrests, the residents withdrew their protest at around 2 am on Friday. Meanwhile, accused Vasantha Kumar was shifted from Manapparai GH to Tiruchy GH.
Later in the evening on Friday, CBSE school principal Jayalakshmi surrendered before the Manapparai police and she was also arrested. A case under various sections including the Pocso Act was registered against all the five accused.
“We have been investigating whether similar complaints were raised in the previous occasions. We have also retrieved the CCTV footage from school premises for the investigation,” said SP Selvanagarathinam.
District Collector M Pradeep Kumar, who declared a holiday for the school, said that severe action would be initiated against the accused and steps would be initiated to prevent such incidents in the schools across the district. The school will reopen on Monday and the students will undergo counselling, he said.
CEO Krishnapriya said the practical exams for classes 11 and 12, which had to be postponed, would be held on another date.
Meanwhile, a team of education department officials headed by the matric schools' district officer Baby commenced an inquiry with the students and parents.
