MADURAI: The Usilampatti All Women Police Station (AWPS) arrested a 69-year-old owner of an
orphanage for allegedly sexually harassing the minor inmates. He was remanded in the Madurai Central Prison on Saturday.
The orphanage was also closed down as it was functioning without authentication. G Devapitchai (69), a resident of Periyasemmettupatti at Mekilarpatti in Usilampatti, was the owner of Sun Light Orphanage in Meyyanampatti. According to district child protection officer Ganeshan, 11 minor girls -- orphans and
child of single parents -- used to stay in the home. The matter came to light when one of the abused girls informed her school teacher.
The teacher immediately alerted the Child Welfare Committee and District Child Protection Office
officials, who after enquiry found that Devapitchai had reportedly sexually harassed at least four girls and
misbehaved with many others. After checking the orphanage's official documents, they also found that Devapitchai had not got the licence of the home renewed after it expired last year.
"He reportedly admitted the children after informing the people concerned that he would get the license soon. The children were later shifted to a nearby government hostel," the official added. A senior police personnel said that there was no proper record for how long the home was running. However, after
taking into consideration the number of years a few children stayed at the home, the police suspected that he had been running the home for over five years.
The police said that Devapitchai's wife reportedly warned the children to stay away from him. Though a few more persons were working in the orphanage, the preliminary investigation found him to the lone accused. In a few occasions, he also took the girls outside the home, the police added.
Based on a complaint of a 15-year-old girl, the police arrested Devapitchai under sections 5(l) (m) (n) (o), 6, 7 and 8 of The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and 3 (2) (va) of the Scheduled Castes and The Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Later he was produced before the court and
remanded in Madurai Central Prison.