KRISHNAGIRI: After the director of a private school and children’s home in Hosur was arrested for aggravated penetrative sexual assault of a nine-year-old, three more children from the home have alleged that he had sexually assaulted them as well.
The victims were sent for medical examination on Tuesday night. Four others were also arrested on Sunday for not reporting the incident.
The 61-year-old director had allegedly raped a Class 4 girl in the first week of September, and the issue came to light in the second week of September.
Based on a complaint from the district child protection unit (DCPU) on Saturday night, the director was booked under Section 5 of the Pocso Act, and four others — his 61-year-old wife, his two friends aged 37 and 63, and a 34-year-old female teacher working in the home — were booked under Section 21 of the Pocso Act for not reporting the incident.
His friends allegedly attempted to pay a settlement to the victim’s mother, but she refused, sources said.
“Following the incident, DCPU shifted 26 children (17 boys and nine girls) to children’s homes at Krishnagiri and Bargur on Saturday. Three more girls in classes 3 and 4 reported that the director had touched them inappropriately,” DCPU sources said.
Meanwhile, police formed a special team to nab one more suspect who tried to conduct a ‘katta panchayat’ about this incident.
Police said they will also look into the health staff who failed to inform about the incident to authorities on September 12, when the nine-year-old went to the Government District Headquarters Hospital at Hosur. Chief Medical Officer of Hosur GH, Dr Lakshmisree, was unavailable for comment.
Krishnagiri Collector C Dinesh Kumar told TNIE that if there is any dereliction of duty by health staff, necessary action will be initiated.