Teacher sexually harasses school students, arrested in Salem

SALEM: Villagers locked a teacher of a panchayat middle school in Salem inside a classroom for hours on Friday after students alleged that he was visiting the school in a drunk state.
The students also alleged that he was harassing girl students. Police visited the school and arrested the teacher, identified as Suresh Babu, based on a complaint from parents of the school students. Simultaneously, the school education department also suspended the teacher. According to villagers of Selathanpatti near Suramangalam in Salem district, Suresh Babu used to come in an intoxicated state often. He would also harass the students and on one occasion found following girl students till the toilet.
The students have been complaining about the behaviour of Suresh Babu to the school authorities. Since there was no action, they informed their parents who gathered at the school on Friday. They confronted the teacher in the campus. However, he continued to be defensive and quarreled with the parents.
Enraged, the parents locked him up in a classroom. School authorities informed police who rushed to the campus. School education department officials too rushed there. Parents said they would not relent unless the police assure to take action on the teacher. Subsequently, police and the school education department officials assured that they would initiate action, following which Suresh Babu was rescued from the locked classroom and arrested.