A librarian at Delhi Public School near Vadavalli, Coimbatore, was arrested under the POCSO Act for sexually harassing multiple female students. The school management is also under investigation for failing to report the incident.
Coimbatore: A teacher working as a librarian at a private school near Vadavalli, Coimbatore, has been arrested under the POCSO Act for sexually harassing female students. The incident came to light when a 9th-grade student reported the harassment to her parents.
The accused, identified as Paulraj, was working as the librarian at Delhi Public School, a private institution with over 800 students. According to reports, Paulraj had been sexually harassing the 9th-grade student, and his behavior escalated over time. It is alleged that he also sexually abused two other minor girls within the school premises.
Following the complaints, the affected students' parents demanded strict action against Paulraj and filed complaints with the relevant authorities. District Child Protection Officers visited the school and conducted an inquiry with the affected children.
Meanwhile, the city police officials also visited the school for investigation. Subsequently, the All Women Police Station at R.S. Puram arrested Paulraj under the POCSO Act and are conducting further investigations.
It has been reported that the victims initially informed the school principal about the harassment. However, the school administration allegedly failed to investigate the complaint and take appropriate action. The matter then reached the District Education Officer, who immediately visited the school for an inquiry.
Following this, District Child Welfare Officer Brinda and a team of officials conducted an investigation at the school, which confirmed the librarian's sexual harassment of the students.
The District Child Welfare Office then filed a complaint at the West All Women Police Station in R.S. Puram. Based on the complaint, a case was registered under the POCSO Act, leading to Paulraj's arrest.
Furthermore, the police have also registered cases under the POCSO Act against school principal Maheswari and administrator Dandapani for failing to properly report the sexual harassment complaint to the police. Investigations are ongoing as of July 12.