DHARMAPURI: A fight between two class 8 students - a boy and a girl - of a panchayat union middle school near Pennagaram took an uglier turn after the father of the girl attacked the boy. The 13-year-old boy, belonging to an SC community, is undergoing treatment in a hospital.
Following complaint and counter-complaints by the parents of both the children, the Eriyur police have started an investigation.
The police said the fight broke out between the boy and the girl (from an MBC community) while the students were cleaning the classroom after lunch on Friday. The girl had allegedly beaten the boy using a broomstick. The boy then retaliated by pushing the girl, causing injuries to her forehead. Later, the girl’s father, who learned about the incident, arrived at the school along with some family members and attacked the boy.
The boy’s mother filed a complaint with the Eriyur police on Saturday, urging the police to arrest the girl’s father under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. On Monday, however, the girl filed a complaint with the Eriyur police alleging she had been sexually harassed for over three months and requested action under the Pocso Act against the boy.
J Sabapathi, DSP of Pennagaram, said, “It is true the girl’s father attacked the boy but no group was involved. The boy sustained some minor injuries and was hospitalised. Meanwhile, it has been alleged the boy had been harassing the girl for the past few months. We are conducting a detailed investigation because of the sensitive nature of the case.”
Officials from the School Education department said they would look into the issue when TNIE reached out to them for their response.