Tamil Nadu: School teacher held for sexually abusing 3 girls

CHENNAI: A teacher of a private school near Mamallapuram was arrested on Saturday on charges of sexually assaulting three girls of the institution after the students' parents and relatives staged a flash protest demanding action against the teacher. The accused man, 45-year-old Manimaran, was later dismissed by the management.
The incident happened three months ago, when Manimaran, a resident of Kalpakkam who had been teaching Tamil at the private matriculation school for six years, insisted that the three girls stay for special classes after school hours. During the classes, Manimaran often touched them inappropriately and also sat next to them and misbehaved with them, police said, based on a complaint from the parents. When they protested, Manimaran even threatened to throw them out of the school and give them lesser marks in the exams, police said.
After several days of harassment, the three students refused to go to the special classes and went home directly from school. When their parents asked them repeatedly about the harassment, the girls blurted out the treatment meted out by their Tamil teacher.
Soon, the parents submitted written complaints against the teacher and demanded action against him. However, according to the complaint, the school authorities didn't take action and kept fobbing off the girls' parents and other villagers who had accompanied them. On Saturday, provoked by the continued inaction, the family members and relatives of the girls organised a flash protest at the school against the management.
On receiving information about the incident, a team of the Mamallapuram all-women police station arrived and conducted inquiries with the girls' parents and others. A case was registered under the Pocso Act and Manimaran was arrested. The school management then terminated his services. He was sent to jail after being produced before a magistrate's court in Thirukazhukundram.