The Coimbatore City Police on Saturday arrested a former computer instructor in a government school, who has been placed under suspension, on charges of sexually assaulting the girl students.
According to the police, C. Vijay Anand (41), was employed at Government Higher Secondary School in Vellalore. He was suspended by the Chief Educational Officer N. Geetha on Friday evening after the students staged a demonstration earlier in the day demanding action against him. Following this, a 17-year-old girl studying in Class XI at the school lodged a complaint at the All Women Police Station – Coimbatore East late on Friday, the police said.
The accused was subsequently booked under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act namely section 7 (Sexual assault), 8 (Punishment for sexual assault), 9 (f) (whoever being on the management or staff of an educational institution or religious institution, commits sexual assault on a child in that institution), 9 (l) (whoever commits sexual assault on the child more than once or repeatedly) and section 10 (Punishment for aggravated sexual assault) – by the All Women Police. He was arrested on Saturday morning, the police said.
The accused former teacher is alleged to have sent obscene text messages and images via WhatsApp to the girl students studying in Classes XI and XII and allegedly touched the girls inappropriately within the school premises.
A police officer said that the students had previously lodged a complaint against Vijay Anand to the school's headmaster on December 15 regarding his alleged inappropriate behaviour and had also reported him to Childline helpline 1098 on December 18.
On Friday afternoon, nearly 80 persons including 40 school students staged a demonstration outside the government school demanding action against the teacher.
