TIRUCHY: Police on Wednesday arrested the suspended head of the Tamil Department at Bishop Heber College, Paul Chandramohan CJ, after a complaint was lodged against him by the District Social Welfare Department for allegedly behaving inappropriately with female students.
Earlier this year a few female first-year postgraduate students submitted a letter to the principal alleging that he was behaving inappropriately with them in classes and using obscene language. Weeks after the complaint, an Internal Complaints Committee was formed and an inquiry was conducted in April.
With the deadline for implementing recommendations of the committee nearing, the college management, on June 30, ordered the suspension of Chandramohan. He was picked up by the city police on Wednesday morning, after the district Social Welfare Department lodged a complaint against him at the Srirangam All Women's Police Station.
"As the complainants were reluctant to file a formal complaint, an inquiry was conducted on order of the Collector to verify the authenticity of complaints. Based on the outcome of the inquiry, we have now filed a complaint at the Srirangam station," a source from the department said.
Following the complaint, the Srirangam All Women's Police Station filed a case and arrested Chandramohan. Sources said he has been booked under Sections 354-A (sexual harassment), 354-D (stalking), 294 (b) (uttering obscene words in or near any public place), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act.
R Sakthivel, DC (Law and order), Tiruchy city, said, "Based on the complaint of the Social Welfare Department, we have arrested the accused. Further investigations are underway. He will be remanded shortly."