TENKASI: Members of the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) staged a protest at Thiruvengadam in Tenkasi on Friday, demanding the arrest of a teacher for allegedly attacking a Class 8 Scheduled Caste student for not cutting his nails.
TNUEF state deputy general secretary Suganthi alleged that the higher secondary school teacher also used casteist slurs against the victim and the attack had caused injuries to the neck, hand, and thigh, along with a bone-scratch.
Suganthi claimed that despite registration of FIR, the Thiruvengadam police granted bail to the teacher in violation of the provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
"On March 19, Karuthapandian, the accused teacher, attacked the victim during his leisure time with a PVC pipe. After the student was admitted to Sankarankovil Government Hospital, four teachers went to his house and pressured his parents to withdraw the complaint and even attempted to bribe them, but the parents refused," she said.
Suganthi added that TNUEF had brought the matter to the notice of the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, following which Karuthapandian was transferred by the Chief Educational Officer (CEO) to another school, she said.
When contacted by TNIE, SP S Aravind said that investigation is nearly complete. "The charge sheet will be ready soon under appropriate sections of BNSS and SC/ST (PoA) Act," he added.
Another police official said, "Karuthapandian has given corporal punishment to the students but only detailed inquiry will confirm if he used casteist slurs against the victim."
Teacher of same school arrested for sexual harassment
CPM's Sankarankovil union secretary Ashok Raj alleged that the state government should take action against teachers who pressured the victim's parents to withdraw their complaint and also against the doctors for allegedly discharging the victim forcefully.
"Another teacher from the same school, David Micheal (37) was arrested by the Sankarankovil All Women Police on February 19 for sexually harassing Class 8 girls and booked under Pocso and SC/ST (PoA) acts. The state government should take serious note of crimes committed by government school teachers against students and ensure strict punishment," he said. The Tenkasi CEO Rejina could not be reached for comment.