Tamil Nadu: PT teacher arrested on charge of sexual harassment

Erode: A physical education teacher of a government aided higher secondary school has been arrested on the charge of sexually harassing a Class 8 girl student, police said on Friday.

40-year old Prabhu of the school in Ammapet near Bhavani in the district was arrested on Thursday, a day after the parents of the girl along with 200 residents of their village staged a protest demanding action against him.

He was also suspended by the school authorities on Thusday evening based on the recommendations of the Education Department, officials said.

The teacher allegedly misbehaved with the girl, a member of the school Kabbadi team, in a bus when he was accompanying her and other players after their participation in a tournament in neighbouring Tirupur on August 6.

On reaching home, the girl started weeping and narrated to her parents about the teacher's conduct.

As she developed fever and pain, the girl was later taken to a doctor and then admitted to a private hospital.

After lodging a police complaint, the parents informed their neighbours about the incident.

On Wednesday, around 200 residents of Ammapet village staged a picketing before the school demanding the arrest of the teacher and police had used mild force to disperse the crowd. Police had also assured that a case would be registered against the teacher.

Subsequently, Prabhu was arrested on Thursday and produced before a court which remanded him to 15 days judicial custody.