ALAPPUZHA: The 40-year-old lady teacher employed in a school here, who allegedly eloped with a teenaged boy, has been arrested on abduction charges. The accused Deroni Thambi, 40, from Cherthala taught English at a school there, said Ajay Mohan, Muhamma SI. However, POCSO charges have not been slapped on the woman since the teenager claimed she did not abuse him sexually.
“The duo had gone missing since Sunday and the investigation which followed traced them to Chennai. She was arrested for kidnapping the minor student under Section 75 of Juvenile Justice Act,” the SI said.
“Based on the complaint lodged by the student’s parents, the police started investigation. The pair had switched off their mobile phones. Hence, we were groping in the dark till Thursday. But on Thursday evening, one of the mobile phones was switched back on and we managed to track them down. They were found at the Park Inn lodge in Chennai,” he said. According to the SI, “We have not pressed POCSO charges on her as the student told the police she did not abuse him sexually . The teenager’s parents also refused to subject him to medical examination to establish whether he was sexually abused by her. Hence, we produced him before the Child Welfare Committee. The teacher will be produced before the Cherthala Judicial First Class Magistrate’’.