COIMBATORE: The Gudalur police arrested a 35-year-old martial arts teacher on sexual harassment charges on Wednesday after the victim was attacked by a group demanding the withdrawal of the complaint. The suspect, identified as Sabu Abraham from Selaivayal near Gudalur, works as a karate coach and has been accused of sexually assaulting minor girls during the coaching sessions held at a church in Gudalur.
After one of the alleged victims reported him to the school and church authorities, she and her mother were attacked by a group of seven men. As per the mother’s complaint to the police, the karate teacher and the girl’s father were two of the assailants; the others were her relatives.
The girl, with injuries to her head and left ear, received treatment at the government Ooty hospital.
The police registered a case against Sabu Abraham under Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO) and arrested him during the wee hours on Wednesday. He was produced before the Magistrate Court in The Nilgiris and later remanded.
Besides, the police have registered another case against Sabu Abraham and six others under sections 147 (Punishment for rioting), 448 (Punishment for house-trespass), 294 (sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 506(ii) (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code (IPC).Sources state that the girl’s mother went to the police after her complaints about the issue to the church authority did not result in any action.
