A 46-year-old teacher in a government school in Coimbatore district, who was arrested on Monday on charges of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl student in the classroom, was remanded in judicial custody.
Police sources said on Tuesday that the teacher was produced by the Annur police before a special court for cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in Coimbatore late on Monday. He was then remanded in judicial custody for 14 days at Pollachi sub-jail.
The girl, who is a Class V student at a panchayat union middle school near Annur, was allegedly sexually assaulted by the teacher on March 17 in the absence of other students. He was booked under various sections of the POCSO Act after the headmistress lodged a complaint based on information from the parents.
Sources said the teacher was a temporary staff member who visited panchayat union middle school from March 14 to March 18. The victim would be produced before the Child Welfare Committee for appropriate counselling,
Meanwhile, Chief Educational Officer for Coimbatore district N. Geetha said the teacher would be placed under suspension. “Once we get the FIR copy, action will be initiated,” she said. The Department of School Education had been organising awareness programmes on POCSO Act in all government schools and would continue to do so, Ms. Geetha said.
