COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore city police on Saturday booked the principal of a Coimbatore private school under section 21 of the POCSO Act following the suicide of a Class XI student who was sexually harassed by a teacher.
Police said the principal had been booked under the section (Punishment for failure to report or record a case).
According to the All Women Police (West), the 17-year-old girl was studying in Class XI in the school situated in RS Puram when she was sexually assaulted by Physics teacher K Mithun Chakravarthy (31).
On Thursday night, the girl was found dead in her house at Ukkadam.
Sources said Chakravarthy sexually assaulted her repeatedly in March this year during special classes. She reportedly complained to the school management and they took action against the teacher, cops said. Also, she was given counselling by the school management, they added. Her father denied this.
Two months ago, the family obtained TC from the school and enrolled her in a government school. Around 4.45 pm on Thursday, she called her friend over the phone and complained of stress. He came to her house around 7 pm and informed her parents. By then, she had taken the extreme step.
She allegedly left behind a note mentioning the names of two more people, apart from the teacher, who had sexually assaulted her. The police also retrieved an audio clip purported to be the phone conversation between the victim and the accused.
Sources said the clip revealed Chakkaravarthi told her friends about the sexual assault. Police suspect he might have misbehaved with many students. Mithun Chakravarthy was arrested late on Friday night.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Tamil Nadu Health Department’s helpline 104, Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050, or N Damodaran Centenary Lifeline Number for Suicide Prevention 1800-121-203040 or ‘Vidiyal’ suicide prevention helpline run by Coimbatore police 0422-2300999.)