Sexual abuse of minor student: Three teachers, principal in Kochi arrested for covering up issue

KOCHI: Three more teachers, including the principal of a Tripunithura school, were arrested on Tuesday in connection with the sexual abuse case of a 17-year-old girl student by a guest teacher in a moving vehicle while returning from a school art festival on November 16. 

The police arrested Kiran Karun, 43, a guest lecturer, from Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu on Monday. He had been absconding after allegedly molesting the student in a moving vehicle while returning from the school arts festival at Ponnurunni in Kochi.

The two teachers and the principal were arrested on charges of covering up the issue even after the victim complained against the accused. The teachers and principal were also accused of attempting to convince the Plus-1 student to withdraw the petition.

The arrested persons are the school principal Sivakala (53) of Thiruvananthapuram, teachers -- Shailaja, 55, of Brahmamangalam, and Joseph, 53, of Panangad. 

The student’s family sent the girl to participate in the arts festival after the teacher assured the family that he would drop her off safely, as private bus owners were holding a strike in Kochi.

The alleged incident of molestation happened while he was dropping the girl home.

However, the incident came to light only this Saturday, after a section of students protested against the teacher. The teacher who provided counselling to the victim reported it to the police and the police soon registered a case. The teachers were arrested for not reporting the incident to the police timely, said officers.