Government school teacher accused of molesting over 20 students booked under Goondas Act in Ooty
The accused, identified as M. Senthil Kumar (50) from Iduhatty in Udhagamandalam, had been working as a science teacher at a government school in the Nilgiris. He is said to have been working as a teacher for over 23 years in different parts of Tamil Nadu and had transferred to the school in Udhagamandalam a few months ago.
It has been said that the Nilgiris district police, who have been conducting awareness programmes to sensitise school students on sexual assault, harassment and sexual violence committed against children, were informed by students that their teacher had sexually assaulted them since he joined the school.
So far, more than 20 students have come forward and have alleged that they were molested by the accused. Police said that they have widened their investigation to schools where Senthil Kumar has worked over the last two decades to ascertain if he had committed the crime on other children.
Senthil Kumar was arrested earlier this month under Sections 75(2) (sexual harassment) of the BNS Act and various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, including sexual assault, as well as the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Based on the recommendation of the Nilgiris district superintendent of police N.S. Nisha, orders were passed by the Collector to book Senthil Kumar under the Goondas Act, who has currently been lodged in the Coimbatore Central Prison.
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