Coimbatore student suicide: Goonda Act levied on teacher held for molesting girl

The teacher and principal of the school have already been booked under the POCSO Act after the girl ended her life on November 12

A 31-year-old teacher at a private school in Coimbatore, who is accused of sexually harassing a girl student who later died by suicide, has been booked under the stringent Goonda Act.

The Coimbatore Police on Tuesday slapped provisions of the Goonda Act against the teacher arrested on November 12, a day after the minor student ended her life. “Goonda Act has been slapped against the accused,” a police officer said.

The principal of the school is also in jail after it emerged that the school management took no action against the teacher despite the student complaining against him. Both the teacher and principal of the school have been booked under sections of the POCSO Act.

Also Read — Interpret POCSO law to protect its intent

The girl’s friend had alleged that the principal told the victim not to “make a big issue” out of it. WhatsApp chats and phone conversations between the student and the teacher hint at the level of harassment the young girl had gone through after the alleged sexual assault by the teacher, her friends had said.

The girl, who never spoke about the sexual assault with her parents, convinced them to get her transferred to a different school two months before she died.

The incident came months after students of several reputed schools in Chennai opened up about sexual assaults and harassment faced by them at the hands of teachers. A teacher of Padma Seshadri Bala Bhagavan Senior Secondary School (PSBB) and founder of Sushil Hari International Residential School were also arrested under POCSO Act.

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