The principal of a public school in Kodaikanal was arrested today in connection with a sexual harassment case filed against her father, M. L. Bright, by a Bhutanese girl student.
The Principal Sheefa Paul was produced before a court which remanded her to 15 days judicial custody.
After her arrest, Paul had complained of chest pain and was taken to a doctor, who certified that she was in ‘good health’, police said.
Bright, the school administrator, is facing the charge of sexually harassing the girl in the hostel located in the hill resort town of Kodaikanal, 60 kms from here.
The anticipatory bail application of 76-year-old Bright will come up for hearing on July five before the Madras High Court bench here.
A case had been registered against Bright under Sec 354 (outraging modesty of woman by assaulting or using criminal force) and Sec 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act 1998, on a complaint filed by the guardian of the 14-year old student on June 18.
Bright has been absconding since then.
The girl, staying along with 17 others at the house of Bright, which was converted into a hostel, had accused him of sexually harassing her on June 3.
In his petition in the court, Bright said the girl was paying Rs. 500 per month as hostel fees but as she did not pay the amount for three months, she was accommodated in the “free hostel”. The student did not agree to this, and her guardian sought Transfer Certificate on June 16 and lodged a police complaint two days later alleging he misbehaved with the girl.
