2 days ago
Teacher held under Pocso Act in Krishnagiri
KRISHNAGIRI: A 35-year-old teacher appointed by the School Management Committee (SMC) in a Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) near Krishnagiri was arrested under the Pocso Act late at night on Thursday.
Sources said the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) on Thursday received information about child abuse in a GHSS near Krishnagiri by a temporary teacher, following which a DCPU team rushed to the school on Thursday and held enquiries.
The enquiry revealed that the SMC-appointed social science teacher has been working for over a year and allegedly sexually assaulted six girls in classes 6 and 9. Based on the statement, Legal cum Probation Officer of Krishnagiri DCPU, J Raghuraman, lodged a complaint at Krishnagiri All Women's Police Station (AWPS), and the teacher was booked under section 7 r/w 8 of the Pocso Act. He was later arrested and remanded.
"The school headmaster, who was aware of the incident on Tuesday, did not inform DCPU until the team reached the spot on Thursday," said a police source. This is the fifth case in which a government school teacher has been booked under the Pocso Act since last month.
Krishnagiri Chief Education Officer (in-charge) A Muniraj said, "We have already informed school headmasters to follow the GO 89 issued this April by the School Education Department with a course of action to be taken in case of such offences and procedures to be followed to inform concerned authorities.
Within a week, headmasters will be directed to raise awareness about the GO among teachers. There are 102 higher secondary schools, 170 high schools, 1,740 panchayat union primary and middle schools in the district, apart from this, government schools and private schools will also be asked to follow the GO."
He added, "Already, names of 50 government school teachers in 10 blocks have been given to the District Child Protection Unit, who will be given training about the Pocso Act, who in turn, will give training about the Act in their respective blocks."
It may be noted that in March, the DCPU had distributed child safety awareness posters to about 2,000 schools in the district, which have contact numbers and support mechanisms.
