A school headmaster, G. Joseph Jeyaseelan, against whom the police have registered a first information report following complaints of sexual harassment has filed a petition before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking bail.
He was arrested by the Madurai All Women Police and remanded in judicial custody on April 23. The case of the prosecution is that two women teachers had complained against him. It was said that the teachers had written letters to Education Department authorities complaining about the harassment.
In the letter addressed to the authorities, the teachers complained that they were facing difficulties in the government aided school. Taking note of the letter, the authorities cancelled their deputation to the school.
The police booked the school headmaster after a Single Bench of the court took a serious view of the allegations levelled against Joseph Jeyaseelan. The court passed the direction on a petition filed by Joseph Jeyaseelan, who challenged the cancellation of the deputation of the two women teachers on the ground that there was a shortage of teaching staff.
The Single Bench of the court directed the police to treat the letters written by the women teachers to the Education Department authorities as complaints and commence the investigation. The court also ordered constitution of an Internal Complaints Committee to conduct a parallel inquiry.
In his bail petition, Joseph Jeyaseelan denied the allegations levelled against him and said he did not indulge in such an act.
Justice K. Murali Shankar adjourned the hearing on the bail petition till June 13. Meanwhile, the petitioner has also preferred an appeal against the Single Bench order. A Division Bench of Justices S.S. Sundar and S. Srimathy sought a report from the State and adjourned the hearing on the appeal.
