PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry police booked a private school teacher under Section 6 of the Pocso Act, 2012 on Friday night, for aggravated penetrative sexual assault of a six-year-old girl studying in Class 1 at the school. The accused, A Manikandan (25), was arrested and is set to be remanded by Saturday evening, sources said.
Meanwhile, allegations are rife that the police are biased and forcibly remove protestors due to the school correspondent’s political connections.
On Friday, the girl’s relatives and villagers had gathered at the school premises, assaulted the accused when police attempted to arrest him.
They had demanded strict action against the teacher, the school correspondent, and the headmaster. They also sought action against the police personnel who forcibly removed them from the school premises and called for the school’s immediate closure.
After assurances from collector, the protest was withdrawn after seven hours. Puducherry Union Students Federation founder S Saminathan alleged that the survivor’s parents feared biased police action due to the school correspondent’s political connections.
“Parents of the girl worry that police action is one-sided as the correspondent is from a national party. Protestors alleged that other female students in the school may have also been affected. The education department and child helpline must conduct a proper inquiry. We demand that those supporting the accused be booked under the Pocso Act,” Saminathan said in a statement.
Fishers boycott work in protest
Fishermen from eighteen hamlets in Puducherry boycotted fishing on Saturday, demanding strict action against the accused and the school. A meeting was held in Nallavadu village with fishermen associations, village panchayat representatives, along with revenue and police officials.
In the meeting, resolutions were passed demanding action against the teacher, the school correspondent, and the headmaster under the Pocso Act. The protestors also sought action against police personnel who attacked villagers, a judicial inquiry into the case, and Rs 1 crore compensation for the girl’s family. The resolutions were conveyed to the officials present.
Likewise, Makkal Urimai Kootamaipu secretary G Sugumaran criticised the education department’s inaction in similar cases.
“Education department officials failed to act in similar incidents at government and private schools in Puducherry. They hide such incidents, allowing offenders to escape. Officials do not monitor private schools properly, which leads to students being affected continuously,” he said.
He demanded intervention by the Lieutenant Governor and Chief Minister and action against education department officials, including the director, joint director, and chief education officer. He also warned of protests with the support of social activists and organisations if action was not taken.