The All Women Police Station (AWPS), Thudiyalur, on Friday arrested the driver of a private school bus and his helper on the charge of sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl, an LKG student, allegedly after sedating her.
R. Govindaraj, 37, of Athipalayam Pirivu, driver of a bus operating for a private school near Karamadai, and his helper Marimuthu, 50, were arrested by the police.
As per the complaint filed by parents of the child, the duo sexually assaulted the girl on the bus on Tuesday after dropping the other children, the police said.
The girl, after reaching home, narrated the ordeal to her parents. The shocked parents took up the issue with school authorities who allegedly attempted to cover up the crime without informing the police.
With the parents and relatives protesting, the school authorities allegedly took the accused to the police.
The accused were interrogated by the police to check whether they had attempted similar offence on any other student.
AWPS inspector M. Meenambigai said the use of sedative on the child, as alleged in the complaint, had to be confirmed in a medical test.
“The survivor says that she was injected on the wrist. Both the accused have denied it. This has to be confirmed in a medical examination,” she said.
The accused were arrested under Sections 3 (b) (d) of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and 109 of the IPC.
A. Radhika, Coimbatore district secretary of All India Democratic Women’s Association, said the crime had raised questions over the safety of children. who are sent to school. She wanted all schools to have a special committee formed to prevent such crimes and create awareness on sexual offences among the students, the staff and the parents.
