A 22-year-old youth who allegedly misbehaved and threatened a schoolgirl forcing her to consume poison was arrested by the rural police here on Friday.
The girl studying in Plus One at Tharamangalam was living with her grandmother as her parents were working elsewhere. N. Sandeep, a daily wage worker, used to follow her while she was on her way to the school. He wanted to marry her but she refused, the police said.
On August 3, while the girl was on returning home with her friends, Sandeep allegedly intercepted her, misbehaved with her, and beat her up on the road. Shocked, she raised an alarm. Sandeep threatened her and left. The girl informed her grandmother about the humiliation and later consumed poison. She was admitted to a private hospital in Omalur and is undergoing treatment.
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Based on a complaint, Tharamangalam police registered a case under Sections 294 (b) (uttering obscene words), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and Section 7 and 8 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.